Jean's Journey

Happenings...

2009-11-29T04:35:29Z

Today I made this...

From this...

Which originally started as Romney wool roving. I only used two of the skeins for the hat. So I have 2 skeins and the white skein left. Not sure what I'll make from them.

I have been spending a lot of time spinning this week. It derailed me from my rug hooking. I'm trying different spinning wheels to see which one I like best and whether I want to buy one or not. It would come in handy to make yarn for rug hooking at the least. I may have to get serious about knitting though.

The spinning wheels I've tried are Ashford's Joy and Kiwi, a Lendrum single treadle, and a Victoria. My favourites so far are the Ashford wheels. Picking a spinning wheel is like picking a purse. You pick the one that works for you. Different ones work for different people. I'm looking for a double treadle because I find them easier on my back. I'm also looking for something that can spin thick as well as thin yarn...meaning it has two heads as they are called. And I'm looking for something that I can fold away out of sight when company comes. Plus I'd like it to be able to go different speeds.

Today a friend gave me a huge bag of roving for free. I am always kind of nervous when people do that. I mean...some day it will be payback time! But I think this lady just honestly wanted to get rid of an abundance of wool roving. I'll be able to spin for a long time with what she's given me. And truth be told, if payback time comes, I don't mind helping her some.

I've been busy...

2009-11-25T23:13:46Z

Want to see what I've been working on? Check out these funky afghan squares for a charity afghan. I've already knit six of various colour greens. We church ladies are trying to use up a huge bin of yarn. It's going fast on these squares! Still...someone has to sew them all together. I am feeling sorry for the lady doing it. I may just offer to help her...

When I was in Edmonton this summer I stopped at a yarn shop and picked up a kit for a felted bag by Fleece Artist. I'm finally knitting it up. It's 100% Merino wool and is so soft on the hands and easy to knit. I love it!

I decided we needed some dishcloths. Plus I thought I'd sell some in my on-line store at Etsy. So I've been knitting these up between times...

And...just in case I have more time! I've picked up a hooked rug I started years ago to work on and finish. Here it is...my latest version of my hollyhock rug. I anticipate doing a few more changes before I'm finished. I don't like the stark lines in the petals of the flowers...come to think of it the hooking of the flowers is kind of bugging me. Love the colours...just not the way it's hooked...

I took my rug to stitch-in to show the ladies the Deanne Fitzpatrick yarns. Also to the place I take spinning classes. They just happened to have a fleece sitting there that was perfect colours for my moose! They let me grab a 'handful'...I just took a bit... Yesterday I washed it. It's not as clean as I'd like it. But it's a lot better than it was!

And today I plied a boucle yarn I think will look neat dyed foliage colours for trees in rug hooking.

So that's what's keeping me busy these days! Oh...and binding that experimental quilt. Need to make a label for it and two other quilts before continuing on. Tomorrow...

Helping Out

2009-11-22T03:56:11Z

One of the nice things about being frugal, if you do it the right way, is you have lots of time and energy...and creative thinking...to help out those in need. Frugality forced me to better organize my stuff and time. Because of that I was able to help a friend the other day. And also to spend time with another friend today. It takes time to help friends, but it is so worth it in the end!

However, one needs to be careful. Some people come in the guise of friends but can drain you dry with their demands or requests for help! I am contemplating how to handle one of those right now. I know I cannot be near her long because of the effect she has on my mental health. I am sending out some queries to people to see if there are any groups or organizations in the community she can connect up with who can help her better. I'm not the one to do it.

Today and yesterday were my spinning, stitching, knitting and quilting days. I am on the verge of posting pictures folks... Next week I hope I'll be able to.

My Relaxing Day

2009-11-20T03:40:02Z

I just love days like this! I had a wonderful relaxing day. Paul was home this morning. So we took the opportunity to run some errands. My kitchen strainer finally gave up the ghost after 29 years. Well, actually it's been going for some time. The wire basket part has been slowly working it's way off the metal rim for a number of years. It was squished beyond redemption. Paul finally looked at it as he was doing dishes and asked if we had to keep it. I said no. I didn't realize a new one cost $10CAD! Wow! I didn't know they'd gone up that much in price! But 29 years is a long time. I don't think I paid $5 for that one.

We also picked up another ink cartridge for the computer, burlap to wrap a shrub in the yard for winter, and a snow shovel. To make this trip more frugal I decided to try and purchase items in one store as much as possible. And only drive to the area of town closest to us that would cover all the bases. So in one hour we had everything and were home again. The ink cartridge was $18CAD. The burlap was $10. The snow shovel was $15. Not bad. We like Canadian Tire and Office Depot!

I've been busy today watching more Dr. Grant Mullen DVDs and "Simple Living" DVDs. While watching them I knit or spin. I finished a total of 6 8" squares for a charity afghan the last few days. I'm taking a break now to do other things.

I also spent time spinning some Coopworth wool on my large drop spindle (35 gm). I decided to set up a spinning notebook to keep track of everything I do. Our spinning instructor keeps mentioning this. So I thought I'd give it a try.

At first I thought I'd have to buy a sketchbook or something. But I determined I was not going to spend money on this! So I searched the house and decided it might be time to sort through some of my household binders. Whenever I find information on anything, or take notes on a book or something, I put them in binders by subject. Well some subjects have more notes than others. I found a binder with a couple pages of notes from one book...that's it (kind of a waste of a binder!). So I took the notes out, determined they were outdated and could be tossed, then found some paper for my binder and VOILA! a spinning notebook! I spent some time making notes on all the yarns I've spun to date and putting samples in the notebook. Makes sense to keep everything organized like this.

A friend came over and we quilted this evening. I finished making all the brown potholders I had. They are the remains of a quilt border from the experimental quilt. It is a quilt-as-you-go technique that had me machine quilting the pieces before sewing them onto the quilt. It was very slow and laborious. And these borders were just one too many. So I cut them up into potholders. I tested them on a hot cast iron frypan and as a hot pad on the table. They work great! So I've kept a few for myself.

I also started sewing the final border on the sampler quilt. I will be glad to have that particular quilt top finished. I am not happy with it. But it's okay I guess. Too many people with too different ideas working on it. Next time I think I'll do all the colour planning myself.

I made some Caramel Sauce today to serve over blueberry muffins. It's a real treat here. I make whole wheat banana blueberry muffins fat-free and sugar-free. This recipe comes from my little sister in PEI, and in its original form is served over blueberry cake.

Caramel Sauce

1 c. brown sugar
1/4 c. butter
1/4 tsp. salt
1 c. water
2 tbsp. flour
1/2 tsp. vanilla flavouring

Melt the butter and add everything else. Bring to boil and simmer till thickened. Serve over the muffin!

Enjoy!

My Etsy Shop

2009-11-18T23:17:18Z

Is up and running! I put up a few items to sell. It's a start. I'll see how it goes. My prices are all over the place. I'm SDG Studios. Check it out and let me know what you think. I'm interested in knowing how to improve it.

A few of the items up for sale...

Children's warm winter wool hats...

Children's warm wool winter sweaters.

A child's hat to match the sweater...

And an adult's hat...

My "Calliope" lap quilt...

Several sets of potholders...

And some handknit dishcloths as well.

Hope you all find something you like there! And if you're local and know me...just call or connect with me and arrange pickup...to save on shipping costs.

Hope everyone is having fun shopping for the holiday season! Will post more tomorrow.

Tackle It Tuesday - Chicken Stock

2009-11-18T03:54:32Z

Today was a real Tackle It Tuesday project. I made chicken stock. Let me explain. I buy my chicken breasts with the skin on and bone in for a discounted price. I toss the skin and keep the bones for making soup stock. I've had bones piling up in my freezer for a long time now. So today I cracked out the large soup pot and made 10 litres of chicken soup stock.

My stock doesn't really follow much of a recipe. I kind of clean out my fridge and freezer for it. A friend doesn't like celery leaves, so she gives them to me. I freeze them for making stock later. I threw in about 3-4 cups of them.

The book "Why French Women Don't Get Fat" encourages making leek soup to jumpstart weight loss. And suggests saving the green leafy parts for soup stock later. So I had the tops to four leeks in the freezer that I tossed in the stock too.

And then I added a couple carrots (all I had). And some spices - 3 bay leaves, 3.5 tsp. parsley, 3 tsp. basil...and 18 cups water.

I used 3 lbs. of chicken bones with some meat still on them. I'm not too fussy about cutting all the breast off the bone. I like some real chicken in my soup stock.

That was about it. I brought it to a boil and simmered it for 2 hours. Then left it to sit on the stove to cool while I took off for the afternoon.

The net result is a very yummy stock. That 10 litres will probably take us well into the new year.

Edited to Add: I also threw in some whole black peppercorns. No salt. I don't put salt in the stocks I make...the soup yes...the stock no.

Motivation Monday

2009-11-17T04:15:12Z

This has been a day for motivation all the way round! This morning I watched a Dr. Mullen DVD and was motivated to do some work on emotional baggage.

In the afternoon I and some friends helped another friend settle into her new apartment. She is downsizing and has way too much stuff! I am motivated to downsize my stuff now...before I try and move to a smaller place!

Then, because I was tired, Paul and I were motivated to try a new restaurant for supper. It was supposed to have moderate serving sizes and be relatively cheap. We found it neither. Oh well...live and learn.

I heard about a ministry the church is involved in currently. We are knitting squares to sew together to make afghans to give to a street people ministry supported by our church. So I pulled out some yarn and started knitting my 8" square. I'm hoping to knit through some odd balls of yarn by the time we're finished.

And I was motivated to do something different with Bible study tonight. Last week's study was not stellar. The reading sections are just too long. Tonight we split them up so no one read more than one paragraph at a time. It worked great because we could stop at the end of each paragraph and discuss what we'd read. Much better!

I've also been motivated to sew these the past few weeks.

They are a leftover border from the experimental quilt I'm working on. I cut them into squares, bound the edges and voila! I've tested them in the kitchen on a hot cast iron fry pan. They work, even though they're only filled with cotton quilt batting. I also used them on our wood dining room table as hot pads under hot dishes. Worked fine. I'm thinking I may be able to sell them for a few bucks...or use them as gifts.

I've also been knitting dishcloths to use or sell. I have a huge ball of Bernat Handicrafter Cotton I'm working my way through.

I also was motivated to do spinning today. My assignment last week was to produce yarn less than 8 wraps per inch (wpi), 18-24 wpi, and then some 36+ wpi. Well I already had the 36+ wpi. My beginning yarn was 8 wpi, but the instructor wanted us to go back and try it again...to get used to controlling the drop spindle to achieve different weights of yarn. It was hard! Today I had to start the 18-24 wpi. I need it for class Wednesday. So call me motivated!

Frugal Friday - Books

2009-11-14T16:08:59Z

Sorry this is late everyone. It was a busy day yesterday! I was at stitch-in yesterday morning for the first time in three weeks, having been home sick for awhile. I caught up on everyone's lives and even managed to finish the borders on my hardanger bellpull. Also was into the fibre drop-in to try spinning some of that Coopworth wool I picked up in Nova Scotia. It is much nicer than dyed Romney to spin! I am trying to spin a bulky yarn consistently. I'm managing it just fine with the Coopworth. It was a challenge with the Romney.

Yesterday afternoon was spent at the church sorting through the library and updating things with the minister. Also I went on our first mega grocery shopping trip since coming back from vacation. It was $135CAD for two weeks groceries for two people. Granted, most of it was organic and healthy fare...which is quite a bit more expensive here.

And then in the evening I had a friend over and we watched the first DVD of Dr. Mullen's series. She brought the popcorn. I made gingered pears. And I knit while watching. It's my fourth time through that particular DVD.

So no time to post yesterday. However...today I'm making up for it. Today I'm posting some frugal books that have helped me over the years.

Frugal Cookbooks

"Make Your Own Groceries" Daphne Metaxas Hartwig (I notice she has a newer one out called "More Make Your Own Groceries")
"Dining on a Dime" Tawra Jean Kellam
"More with Less" Doris Janzen Longacre (the cookbook)
"Dinner's in the Freezer" Jill Bond

Frugal Books period!

"Cut Your Grocery Bills in Half" Barbara Salisbury
"Encyclopedia of Country Living" Carla Emery (worth it for the recipes alone!)
"Frugal Families" Jonni McCoy
"Miserly Moms" Jonni McCoy
"Living More with Less" Doris Janzen Longacre
"Talking Dirty Laundry with the Queen of Clean" Linda Cobb
"The Complete Tightwad Gazette" Amy Dacyczyn (older, but filled with great frugal philosophy and attitude articles. Also great tips. My bible of frugality.)
"Total Money Makeover" Dave Ramsay"
"Your Money or Your Life" Joe Dominguez and Vicki Robins
"Educational Travel on a Shoestring" Judith Waite Alle and Melissa Morgan
"How to Save Money Every Day" Ellie Kay
"Mary Hunt's The Complete Cheapskate"
"Money Doesn't Grow on Trees" Ellie Kay
"Shop, Save, Share" Ellie Kay
"The Cheapskate Monthly Makeover" Mary Hunt
"The Frugal Gardener" Catriona Tudor Erler
"Unplug the Christmas Machine" Jo Robinson & Jean C. Staeheli

Happy reading!

SROC - It's Back!

2009-11-12T23:00:19Z

Sorry I was derailed this spring folks. Here is the continuation of the Sewing Room Organization Challenge. Those of you who have been following this journey may remember I stalled at organizing pins, needles and stabilizers...week 5. Well I finally finished them! I had to wait for natural daylight, good eyesight and a magnifying glass to meet.

I found this solution for used needles on the Internet. These needles are still good...just needed to take them out for another project. Instead of going back in the machine they were lost in the depths of the drawer where I stored needles.

I bought a huge pincushion from Fabricland on sale and divided it horizontally to provide different sections for different needles. I use the top section for different size/type needles than the bottom section. That gives me 12 sections for needles. The only complaint I have with this arrangement is the pincushion takes up a fair bit of space on my small sewing table.

The needles that have not been used and are still in packaging are organized in plastic drawers in a unit my parents originally had to organize hardware supplies in the family workshop! It’s probably a plastic storage cabinet from Canadian Tire or some home hardware type store. I have 3 of these actually…and I’m just starting to organize them.

You can see I’ve labeled each section for easy identification of needles. I’ve also noted on the front of the drawer what needles are in there. I’m glad I did this. I discovered all kinds of needles I didn’t know I had. I don’t think I’ll need to buy new needles for awhile!

While I was at it I went after the pins – both straight and safety – and organized them.

Here they are in the storage unit.

As for the stabilizers…I liked the original storage solutions. Anything that could fit into the clear plastic bin went into it. Anything too long for it went in the surplus garbage can.

Here's the stabilizer bin in situ on the sewing unit...above the serger thread.

So I'm back on track with the Sewing Room Organization Challenge. Look for an update next week sometime!

And while we're on the subject....

2009-11-12T19:45:58Z

Chocolate! Yumm! I cut out chocolate a few years ago because of the caffeine content. But lately I've been giving it a second chance. I'm just being careful not to have a lot of it at a time. I recently read "French Women Don't Get Fat" and discovered, while French women eat excellent food, including chocolate, they actually eat very little of it...and lead very active lives. So my reasoning is if I eat very little and keep active I should be able to enjoy the odd bit of chocolate...n'est pas? ;)

My sister-in-law stayed here for awhile while we were away and left me this book as a thank-you gift.

It's "Health by Chocolate" by Victoria Laine. I've already tried a couple of recipes that really hit my sweet tooth and chocolate tooth. In fact, the big problem for me is going to be finding sugar substitutes to use in the recipes. Most of them already use natural sweeteners such as honey and agave nectar. But I'm not supposed to be using any sugar. Still, agave nectar has a low glycemic index, so I am trying the recipes with it.

All of the recipes are tagged as to whether they're soy free, gluten free, wheat free, nut free, and raw foods. All the recipes are egg and dairy free. It makes it much easier for someone like me who has several limits on their diet.

These are not frugal recipes however. They are treats. The Sweet-More Bar recipe is so intense and filling that one 1" x 1" piece satisfied my chocolate and sugar craving a whole day. And the Malted Calci-yum Rich Chocolate Smoothie is a good alternative to chocolate milk...and lots more healthy. I modified the recipe...

Malted Calci-Yum Rich Chocolate Smoothie (modified)
serves 2

2 large frozen bananas
1 1/4 c. cold water (could be rice milk, soy milk)
1 1/2 tbsp. cocoa powder
1 tbsp. tahini
1 1/2 tsp. hulled hemp seeds
1 tbsp. agave nectar (original called for maple syrup)
1 tsp. fancy molasses (original called for blackstrap molasses)

Blend all everything but molasses in blender. Drizzle in molasses while blender is running. Ready to drink when smooth and creamy. The original also calls for 2 ice-cubes, but I didn't have any. I think the ice-cubes would make it a smoothie. Without them it's more like a rich chocolate milk.

Old Fashioned Fudge

2009-11-12T00:04:06Z

Not long ago Lisa and I had an exchange on Facebook about fudge. She's been trying different recipes and been frustrated. Now fudge is like totally off my diet! But it's still on hers! I have an old time recipe from my grandmother. Gram used to make this over the wood stove when we lived on the farm in the early '60s. Once we were off the farm and in the city I remember my older brother Randy making it in the evenings after supper. That and old fashioned Molasses Cookies (but that's a recipe for another day). My childhood is steeped in stirring the fudge, helping make it, eating the fudge. This was our comfort food on cold winter evenings. So I thought I'd post Gram's fudge recipe today for the frugalites in the crowd to enjoy.

Gram's Chocolate Fudge

This is easy and good.

2 c. sugar
1/2 c. milk
pinch salt
1 tbsp. cornstarch
2 tbsp. cocoa
2 tbsp. butter

Mix all together and boil 2 minutes after it begins to boil hard. Remove from heat. Add 1 tsp. vanilla. Beat until it thickens. Pour on buttered plate to harden.

Sorry there's no pictures folks! But if I made some to take a photo of I know who'd be eating it!!!

My Stash Additions

2009-11-10T18:36:48Z

I can't resist cheap fabric. I love fabric. And if it's cheap, so much the better! I was able to pick up lots of quilting cotton at the Buy Rite in Montague PEI while on vacation. Next to the Bargain Fabric Outlet in North Bedeque, PEI, it's the cheapest place in the Maritimes I know to buy fabric. Though I hear there's a Discount Fabric Outlet in Avonport, NS now. Didn't have time to make it over there this trip. Anyway, here's my stash...

That's 15 metres of fabric for $80CAD (it was $3.99-$4.99/m, plus taxes). Yes, I do have a use for it. I'm wanting to make an Irish Chain quilt for our bed someday. Just not sure when I'll get to it. Want to finish some other quilting projects first!

In case you're wondering, 15 metres will make 2 queen size quilt tops. So I'll have plenty leftover for other projects!

"Breaking Free"

2009-11-09T16:25:43Z

I’ve had a very busy weekend folks. This weekend I attended the Dr. Grant Mullen conference in Regina called “Breaking Free”. It was an interesting conference and Dr. Mullen is an entertaining speaker. Dr. Mullen views mental health as a three pronged affair, affecting body, soul and spirit. He maintains that any treatment plan that doesn’t take all three into account is shortchanging the patient.

I was very interested in his approach on a couple of fronts. First, because I came to the conclusion when educating my children that those three areas were the main areas that needed addressing. I’ve been playing with them from the educational theory viewpoint ever since.

And second, because, while information on medication (body) and emotional health (soul) is readily available, very little has been said or written about the role of the spirit in mental illness. At least, very little that is constructive to the mentally ill! Usually it consists of church people saying you don’t have enough faith if you’re mentally ill. This is hardly constructive to the depressed person who can’t concentrate on anything because of a chemical imbalance. If you can’t concentrate you can’t pray effectively, study the Bible effectively, worship effectively, or manage small groups like Bible study or other volunteer work within the church effectively.

I did a very un-frugal thing. I bought all of Dr. Mullen’s DVDs and brought them home. I’ve already talked to one friend and she wants to watch them with me. Paul says he’d like to view them too. I have one that is going to the church library.

My reasoning for the purchase is that I have wasted tons of money on professionals and alternative health practitioners trying to deal with my mental health issues and issues related to it. For a fraction of the price I could have these DVDs at home at my disposal whenever I needed them. Plus they filled a gap in my education about this disease…the spiritual side of it. In other words, I know I’m going to get some help from them. The conference showed me that. That’s a better deal than the $200 I put out last year on a naturopath that only told me I couldn’t afford her $450/mth. fix to my problems!

Dr. Mullen also writes material for the secular world, and offers conferences to them. His book, “The Breakthrough Solution”, is aimed at the corporate world and is a humorous short read (100 pages).

It was a great conference and an opportunity to connect with people in the health care profession. I was surprised by the number of doctors and nurses I saw there. I chatted with one lady about ADHD and bipolar in adolescents. And another who runs a program for the mentally ill locally. People came from quite a distance away as well. And when Dr. Mullen asked how many people were not from the local church, fully three quarters of the people put up their hands! The man draws his audience from a broad base.

So it was a busy weekend, hence no post Saturday (sorry folks). I was tired by the end of it…and sick again. I don’t know what I have, but it’s annoying. I recommend if you or a loved on is suffering from mental illness that you check out Dr. Mullen’s website and see if his material might help you or them understand their illness better.

Frugal Friday - A Child's Plea for Help!

2009-11-06T22:56:04Z

I received a plaintive email from Lisa the other day, begging for my help in decorating their apartment. They've been really good about saving money and putting it down on debt all summer and fall. Now her mother-in-law and sister-in-law are coming for a visit before Christmas. She's starting to panic. "How to I make it not look like an impoverished student's home Mom?" Poor Lisa.

Lisa specifically mentioned the Victorian style, "but I don't want it to look like a bordello Mom!" Hmm...amazing what your kids think you might do to them! ;) Actually, I know her mother-in-law, and I don't think it will be near as bad as she thinks it will be, but...in an effort to help the Lisa's of this world, here are a few ideas...

Check the library and Internet for pictures/books/magazines. You want to thumb through them and use a sticky note to tag every page that has something on it you like, or that appeals to you.
Recognize there is the expensive way and the cheap way to get any look. Trust me. My sister once gave me an apartment decorating book that was great. It had the expensive photo and prices on one page, and the inexpensive version photo and prices on the other page. It was great for expanding my decorating possibilities!
Decide on a colour scheme. Sometimes this can come from a single piece that you absolutely love. Like picking a colour out of a very precious piece you own. Other times you just go with what makes you feel good!
When we redid our main floor we decided to go with earth tones because we wanted a relaxing place. Think about the function of the room before picking colour. Probably bright orange isn't a great idea for the bedroom...
If you can't paint walls, as most apartment dwellers can't, then plan to put your favourite colour in draperies and furniture somehow...even if it's just the throw cushions or quilts or afghans (I know...so 70s) on the sofa. Or maybe an area rug on the floor.
Make everything from scratch that you can. Sew the curtains. It is very handy to learn how to sew. This is one skill it pays to learn. It can be used many ways in your life. Sew the cushion tops.
But also check the library for books on no-sew decorating. They're out there! You can even come up with nice window treatments without sewing a stitch. So don't think you have to learn how to sew!
Cheap fabric can be found in the bedding/curtain section of the thrift store. Don't forget, 100% cotton can be overdyed in the washing machine and your landlord will be none the wiser. that means that ugly orange can be toned down by adding green to make a nice rust or brown colour...or blue and yellow to make green...or whatever you want to do! Use RIT dyes available at Walmart, Zeller's or a hardware store near you.
If you can braid, hook, weave, etc. a rug...go for it... But if those are too time consuming and expensive for your taste, try painting a design on canvas and coating it with a few coats of polyurethane before putting it on the floor. It'll liven the place up.
Be aware that some rugs attract dirt and dust and are hard to clean.
Be aware that cats sometimes like to pull on the pile in rugs with their claws.
Be aware that rugs do occasionally need cleaning. In an apartment this might be problematic. They usually need to be beat (or vacuumed) and sometimes washed...depending on type.
If you're not crafty, head to the local Home Depot or Rona for rugs.
Also check out antique stores or vintage stores. I found Belgian rugs selling for $30CAD each the other day on a half price sale at the local antique store. And of course, check the thrift store first!
At any rate. The ceiling and walls should be dealt with first. So if you're going to change any lighting do that first...with your landlord's approval. Then the walls include colour and drapery.
Furniture can be had free or cheap on-line through Kijiji, Freecycle, Full Circles, and other such sites. Don't forget, you can always sew or cover it with a slipcover if you like the style but not the colour!
The cheapest places for fabric are the above on-line sites, or visit the bargain wall and bins at your local Fabricland/ville, Atlantic Fabrics, or discount fabric stores. I consider cheap to be under $4CAD/m. I often try to buy cotton at under $2.50/m...for everything...
You can also buy pillow forms at the fabric stores, though they tend to be a bit expensive there. You might want to check the upholstery stores in the area. Some DIY places have foam dirt cheap. They'll even cut it to size for you. Don't go with the cheap foam at Zeller's or Walmart. It simply isn't firm enough to give good support. You want higher density foam...but that's up to you. There are many things to fill a cushion with and books have been written about them! You'll have to check the options in your area to see what is cheapest in your locale.
Anyway, once the ceiling, walls and furniture are done...look at the floor and decided how to handle it. I put the floor here because in apartments you usually are not allowed to do anything other than put rugs on it. Normally I'd deal with the floor before the furniture in a house. But in an apartment you're limited. Be aware that there are non-slip mats you can buy at the Dollar Store to put under area rugs so they don't slip when people land on them. This is a safety issue folks! Use them! I've also seen them selling in IKEA and SEARS.
I especially like to check out the SEARS bargain/clearance center for furniture. Some really good deals there. Sears itself can be expensive. So check for furniture clearance/outlet places in your community.
Wall decorations come next...that's paintings, mirrors, stitchwork, etc. Black frames look classy. In fact, a bit of black in a room is good. It anchors the room...even if it's just a black accent item...like a black candle plate.
Then add accents...lamps, plants, knick knacks, etc. I like to add green in every room. Haven't managed it in this house. But a green plant in a room just makes people relax. It also freshens the air in the room...depending on the plant. Think flea markets, garage sales, etc. for finding accents.

Hope that list gives you a few ideas of where to find things cheaply.

If you want new furniture easy to knock together, try thinking of alternative uses for things already in existence. The old concrete/brick and board bookcases we used to make as university students comes to mind. But if you have basic carpentry skills, you can knock together a couple of modular boxes in a weekend to house books too...if the landlord will let you do it in the parking lot! Or you have someplace you can do it.

If not, check out the modular units available at Home Depot and other hardware stores. Canadian Tire usually has storage units on sale in the fall. Not sure if the sale has gone past now or not. I buy my plastic storage units for craft supplies from them.

Keep your mind open and think outside the box. I have the drawers from one half of an old vanity, thrown out by the garbage bin one day by a neighbor precisely because it was broken, painted and holding office supplies in my sewing room.

You don't have to be a great artist to do these things...as you can see! You just need to be able to judiciously apply some paint in a pleasing pattern to you. If you don't like it...you can always paint over it. I hear spray paint is quick! (I love the stuff!)

If you don't like the look of something, but you like it's function, buy a can of spray paint! It's amazing what you can do! I spray painted some magazine archival boxes to match the decor of my sewing room. I really didn't want office black/gray in my sewing room. I also picked up a metal basket from a garage sale that wasn't the right colour. I spray painted that to match my sewing room. And I spray painted a bulletin board as well. Don't be shy! Think outside the box!

But for Lisa doing Victorian theme. Love...use lots of glass, crystal, beads, china, chintz, velvet, layered window treatments, crazy quilts (easy to make from old hankies actually), and knick knacks. And good luck keeping it from taking on that bordello air! Just remember honey, Victorians loved stuff! Theirs was an age of abundance...in fabric, in things. Head the to the thrift store for some cheap fabric!

Have fun decorating everyone!

Spinning Yarn

2009-11-05T23:32:20Z

My spinning story...

It all started long, long ago in a land far far away...Alberta to be exact...at my sister-in-law's to be precise. She has been an excellent spinner and weaver ever since I've known her. Over 29 years ago...before Paul and I married...I spent the summer with my brother and his wife. I knew I was serious about Paul, just not sure how serious. So I decided to go away for the summer and see if I could live without him. LOL! Well, what happened was we wrote letters every week or more frequently. My sister-in-law laughed at the amount of mail I received! She chuckled at all the 'x's and 'o's on my mail.

In an effort to distract myself I landed a job at the Town Office drafting a cemetery map...which I might add, was not a very well done job. No doubt due to my being distracted by thoughts of a certain young man! However, to further distract me my sister-in-law, Sarah, decided to teach me to spin. But not just spin! Oh no! We had to go all the way back to the beginning...with the sheep.

I can't say I've shorn the sheep, but I can say the fleece we picked up was very dirty and smelly, not long off the sheep. We washed it, carded it, and then Sarah introduced me to the drop spindle. A lovely little tool known the world over in various forms.

That summer I spun enough yarn to make the longest thickest scarf I've ever made in my life...6' long and 12" wide! By the time I finished spinning the yarn, I knew who it was for. And I knew I was sunk...I loved Paul.

After my arrival back home Paul and I wasted no time coming to an agreement on a wedding date. I'd like to say he asked me to marry him...but I don't think it happened that way. We met each other after the summer apart and we were pretty desparate. One of us was talking about doing something that meant we'd obviously be a serious couple. The other said "I guess that means we should plan a wedding then." The other agreed and so we did!

I dropped spinning after leaving my sister-in-law because I did not have a spindle or the time. I was knitting that scarf for Paul and working full time. Plus planning a wedding!

That scarf lasted about 25 years before it sprung some holes in the thin spots. I let it sit for awhile, then unraveled it and reknit it, doubling up the weak spots, into a scarf for Carl. Carl's scarf was much smaller and I have oodles of yarn leftover. I was totally amazed at how long the scarf lasted...and how resilient the wool was even after 25 years!

In the meantime...I've been visiting this yarn shop buying knitting yarn. It also sells spinning supplies and wool roving to spin. I never paid much notice, being too busy with my other hobbies. But then one day the owner and her co-worker piped up with me being able to dye roving or yarn just like I do for rug hooking. Well, I never thought of that. I'd been buying their hand dyed wool to knit for awhile. Never occurred to me to make my own to knit!

So I decided I'd try it. But as I looked around I was lamenting the cost of yarn to dye. Well that was it. One of them mentioned spinning my own yarn to dye! LOL! I smell a plot! I really like the ambience of the shop. And we have an excellent spinning instructor locally. So I took the plunge.

It's cost me a bit of money. But as hobbies go, it's not bad. A spindle for $50CAD. Some roving for $5. That's it. Then there was a gizmo to help get my yarn off the spindle and into a ball. That was about $10. However since then I've picked up a smaller spindle $60. And a contraption called a niddy-noddy to measure my yarn as it is turned into skeins - $50. And lots and lots of wool roving. And then there's the spinning class - $120. Still, when you look at the cost of learning to sew and a new sewing machine (good basic ones run around $1000!) - this is cheap! If it works out, I'm bucking for a spinning wheel for Christmas. It'll be approximately $400CAD. MUCH cheaper than learning to quilt!

While I was in the Maritimes I picked up some roving to spin. I tried to pick up roving we couldn't find here. I only had one flub - the alpaca suri that was sold as "alpaca prime" by London-Wul outside Moncton, NB. I've been told I can spin it to make baskets or tote bags. It'll be too rough to knit into a garment. This is it...

It's pretty rough and coarse. I should have opened the plastic bag and checked it first. But I fell in love with the colour...

I was in Dartmouth, NS. one day and asked the proprietor of Tangled Skeins about roving to spin. She disappeared in the back and came out with this...a lovely soy silk and merino blend. Merino is great for spinning. It's very soft and makes a nice fine yarn.

My spinning instructor tried spinning a short piece and it was gorgeous once spun!

Meghan was with us the day we visited Belfast Woolen Mills. We found the following alpaca and cashmere blend.

It is just gorgeous to the touch! Meghan pounced on this and wouldn't let it go. She kept telling me she wanted me to make her something from it. Finally she decided she wanted a headband out of it. She said she doesn't like to wear hats. She wants a knit headband. Well, there's a lot of wool there for a headband! There's easily enough for hat and mitts. I'll make her a headband and me a hat...maybe.

Then we were at The Loop in Halifax. I picked up a few packages of roving there. This first is a Bamboo/Merino blend. It feels very soft, but was so tough to pull apart the lady ended up taking scissors to it! When I told my spinning friends they let out a collective gasp. Scissors on wool roving is a 'no-no' apparently. When you get to the end of spinning the cut piece the roving all ends in one spot, making a noticable join/weak spot when you go to add another batch of roving. Well, I'll just pull apart the cut part so it's not all straight across. I was told when I had issues with the strength of the fibre to just hold my hands further apart from each other on the fibre and pull. Some fibres can be very long.

Another purchase at The Loop was this lovely Nova Scotia Shetland wool. I am looking forward to some lace knitting with it.

And then this lovely soft Coopsworth roving.

I've never heard of this sheep breed before. But then I'm new to this spinning thing.

You'll notice most of what I purchased is white. That's because I hope to dye it later as yarn. I'm not interested in dyeing it as roving. The roving felts easily and dyed roving can be harder to spin. Plus I'm used to dyeing yarn. I've been doing it for rug hooking for years.

Of course with all this fibre floating around, I just had to pick up a new spindle when I came home. Our local shop had some gorgeous spindles come from IST Crafts on the Isle of Wight, UK. I've been borrowing a lightweight one from a friend to spin my merino. But this spindle is much nicer! I'll be using it from now on. It spins steady, fast, and forever! Lovely spindle!

I can see myself spinning for awhile. It is so relaxing to just drop my spindle and go. Tonight I'm heading out to practice a special piece with the choir. My ride is coming about an hour early to pick me up. That will give me loads of time to do some spinning while waiting for the others to arrive at the church. Great stuff!

More Yarn! More Fun!

2009-11-05T01:47:50Z

While I was in the Maritimes I took the opportunity to pick up some yarns I couldn't buy locally.

One of those yarns was Mission Falls wool.

I am planning on using it to knit mittens for sale from the pattern booklet "Smitten" by Mags Kandis.

Another batch of yarn I couldn't resist was this...well...we think it's McAusland wool...not sure...that I picked up in Pictou, NS. It is hand dyed by a local lady who runs a business called Cobweb Woolies. It's going to be turned into men's hats.

I picked it up at the local craft/gift store...which had some pretty cool things in it. Paul picked up a couple of CDs of local musicians.

And, last but not least, the Belfast Mini-Mills in Belfast, PEI. I don't know about the lady running the place. I was going to buy qiviut roving to hand spin. But she told me it wasn't good for that. So instead I bought the yarn. When I came home and talked to my spinning friends they just laughed and said she had told me an outright lie. They had all spun qiviut with a drop spindle and had it turn out just fine! In fact, another lady (who owns a yarn store I might add) had been down east trying to buy qiviut from this lady and she told her the same thing...it's not good for drop spindling.

I know from listening to the proprietor discuss things with another customer, that she doesn't think much of drop spindling. But to lie to your customers?! Frankly, if it weren't for the fact she carried such neat exotic fibres I wouldn't go back. At any rate if you want qiviut roving, stick to your guns with this woman. Could be she simply had a bad experience with drop spindling. Course, they do sell mini mills! LOL! Maybe it's part of her sales pitch for them!

Yes, the price on there is right. It's roughly $50/skein. But one skein is enough laceweight for a shawl. I want a wimple and a shawl from this. I might make something to sell. We'll see how the lace knitting goes. This is my future dream yarn to knit.

One down...more to go...

2009-11-04T02:57:19Z

I finished spinning, plying, washing and skeining my first homemade yarn in 29 years! Here's the finished results...

Each skein is roughly 40 grams...which means I have enough to make a hat and possibly mitts as well! I'll use the white for the cuffs and ribbing. It's pretty wild stuff! Definitely varied in thickness. I have no idea what needles to knit it on...time to try soon enough.

I'm pretty excited about this! I am already spinning some Merino. It will make a very fine yarn. I have no idea what I'll knit with it. I don't do lace knitting...but I may have to by the time I'm through!

Rug hooking extravaganza!

2009-11-01T04:47:12Z

I love rug hooking. And, while on vacation, I managed to pick up a few items to keep me going this winter.

A bunch of textured yarn for sky and to hook a moose. This will hopefully finish off two rugs this winter.

And silk yarn as an accent in one of my rugs underway...

Three metres fabric to dye and play with... It was $12 cheaper to buy it like this as opposed to on the bolt. No idea why. This is just 3 metres already cut. And picking it up in person certainly saves on shipping costs!

And books to stimulate the creative juices...

I'm obviously hoping to do some rug hooking this winter.

I love going to the Maritimes. There's a rug hooking store in every town almost! If not rug hooking, then a yarn store, or a fabric store, or an art gallery.

When we were in Peggy's Cove one day we stopped at an art gallery and chatted with the proprietor, a local artist. She informed us that the stretch from Halifax to Lunenburg, NS has the highest concentration of artists of anywhere in Canada. I believe it! The Maritimes is just loaded with excellent artists and artisans. I love visiting and exploring there.

Pictures! Finally pictures!

2009-11-01T04:43:03Z

Alright... here we go... This is what I did on my summer vacation (well...fall vacation!)...

Needlecases for an upcoming stitching event. These are freebies to give away. I made the silk paper with a bunch of other ladies. We divided up the cases to stitch. Someone else will make inserts that hold needles to go inside them.

And here is the yarn I spun on the trip. I've finished plying it now and have it washed and hanging to dry. Soon I'll make skeins out of it and then it will be ready to store until it's time to knit...

Advantages of Being Sick

2009-10-31T02:55:49Z

One of the advantages of being sick is that you have to totally clear your schedule. Why is that an advantage? Well then you're trapped at home with nothing to do...but finish your projects!

Today I pulled out the hollyhock rug I started several years ago. I finally figured out how I was going to do the sky, thanks to Deanne Fitzpatrick! I worked on finishing the hollyhocks and a bit of sky today. I'd love to show you all a picture, but now my computer is refusing to download the new version of Java. Sigh... Can't upload to Photobucket without Java. Annnnywaaay...

Aside from playing with my rug I also worked on spinning yarn. I spun some Merino, plied more Romney, and made skeins from some previously plied Romney. I have two skeins all ready to be soaked and blocked for knitting...80 grams of yarn. I have a couple more skeins to go. I'd love to show you a picture of them too...oh well...soon...

A friend was over today and we talked quilting...which is always fun. She had a few projects underway and needed some advice/input. She pulled them out and we puzzled over them and came to some conclusions. We had the opportunity to go into a craft sale together, but decided it was too short notice...especially with me being sick right now. Plus she's just getting over something. So we decided not to commit for this year. Instead we'll build up a stock of things to sell next year and plan on going into a sale then.

Another advantage of being sick? Paul has been so nice and considerate. He didn't bat an eyelash when I told him I'd ordered Chinese last night while he was at work. In fact, he laughed and said he wasn't fond of the supper he'd taken to work, and had gone out to Arby's on his supper break! Not at all frugal, but I am glad our previously frugal lifestyle has allowed us the financial freedom to do things like this every now and then.

I can't stress to people enough how freeing it is to have no debt over our heads... no mortgage, no credit card debt, no loans, no line of credit... It makes life a whole lot easier! And a lot more enjoyable. It wasn't always like this. We made our share of mistakes. And we also bought into the "keeping up appearances" scene once upon a time too. But not anymore. It just isn't worth it. I'd rather have no debt, cash in hand, and be able to take a trip to visit family whenever I want, with no financial worries to come home to.

Fantabulous Fall!

2009-10-29T18:45:28Z

What a wonderful time of year! Not too hot, not too cold. The only thing I could wish for is more sunshine right now. I wanted to take nice fall colour photos for you all, but the leaves have gone from green to brown to down on the ground. Not much excitement there this year!

Unfortunately today will be another photo less blog entry. I've been trying to upload photos to Photobucket with little success. I'm trying to get a little more pizzazz into my blog for my readers!

I've been pretty busy since coming home. I finished machine quilting the Experimental Quilt and have the binding sewn together. It's half sewn on.

I've been to my first spinning class and have spun some merino wool. To be honest I must admit I've actually been doing drop spindle spinning for 5 weeks now, and have worked my way through 200 gms. of Romney wool - both dyed and undyed. I am having to buy equipment for this new hobby...which hurts. But hopefully I'll be able to sell some of the product of this new hobby too. I've been plying my yarn as well (that is, combining two strands to make what we know as the standard knitting yarn).

I've helped some ladies sew on a banner for the church. They have a lovely series of them going up soon. Well, one at a time. They plan on rotating them. They're gorgeous!

I've also been working on my large hardanger bellpull again. I'm almost near the end of the satin stitching. Then I'll be cutting threads and adding filling stitches. That's the final stage before framing it...I'm not using it as a bellpull.

I processed the pumpkin and froze at least 16 cups. Not bad for $2.98. But if I'd waited one day I could have bought the pumpkin for $1.97! Sigh... well, $3 for 16 cups of pumpkin isn't bad either! I also froze a couple gallons of apples. Need to buy more dirt cheap to freeze. Two gallons might take us to Christmas...

I went with a group of church ladies to a Hutterite colony one day. It's phenomenal what they do! And they fed us a gorgeous lunch too. Plus we bought things off them as well. It wasn't cheap food, but it was excellent. Paul got his saskatoon pie fix for the fall.

Bible study started up again this week. We had a good time. I was really tired though. I'm sick now. Cold and flu season is upon us! I had to cancel getting my flu shot...they didn't want me in there with a sore throat. Everyone is really nervous about H1N1. I canceled out of other events I had going today.

I've been spending time figuring out how to sell my handwork, my dyeing and my writing. Just not sure the best way to go about it. I'm checking out "Art & Money", an "Unconventional Guide" by Chris Guillebeau for ideas. Plus I'm on Etsy...but I don't like my shop at the moment. Gotta read up on how to make it better and do something about it.

I'm busy reading (still!) "Life Coaching for Dummies", which is really aimed at much younger people...but interesting anyway. Also reading Dave Murrow's "How Women Help Men Find God". It's an interesting viewpoint. Doesn't really relate to our situation, but interesting to see how the average macho man sees things.

My father gave me a box of photos and family memorabilia this summer. Paul and I sat down and looked at it this week, trying to decide what to do with it. My stepmother didn't want me to have it, and she may make things tough enough on Dad he has to ask for them back eventually. So while I want to preserve them, I am not into spending a lot of money and effort on the project. It's a big job to do heritage albums...just to have someone decide on a whim they want everything back.

I am under no illusions I would be paid for my time, effort and supplies. Dad just wants them scanned into the computer and sent to people. Problem is...in order to attach labels of who and what they are about I really have to put them in an album and write beneath them. Means money. The last album I finished for my sister cost $75 in supplies alone. I lost track of the time put into it. But it was up around 20 hours when I last recorded it...and I was about half finished then. She was going to pay me, but then didn't. If these photos etc. weren't so precious, I simply would not do this work. People in the family think it should all come for free. I'm tired of working for free. Too many people take my abilities and time for granted.

That's about it. Too busy by half running around to meetings with people. I'm pulling back a bit to try and finish/do some projects here.

Frugal Friday Checkin

2009-10-23T15:08:24Z

We've been back a few days so far and let's see what's been accomplished...

I've been baking again. I found a couple of healthy chocolate recipes in "Health by Chocolate" and made them for snacks. Because of my diet I can't eat (or shouldn't eat) the stuff people put in front of me at various gatherings. It occurred to me that at a couple of these I could take my own goodies. So I made a pan of squares to take to knitting this weekend. They are very rich...being basically peanut butter, honey, cocoa and various nuts. One lasts a long time! I also made a chocolate milkshake using no dairy ingredients. It was great! I didn't have ice either, so it tasted more like a deluxe chocolate milk. And the sugar in it was 1 tbsp. of agave nectar!

I made mayonnaise and granola as well. I bought apples at .48/lb. and I am slicing, dipping in Fruit Fresh, and freezing them for winter eating. I also bought a super large pumpkin for $2.98 to bake and freeze for winter months. I am keeping a close eye on the grocery store this time of year. I saw tuna .80/can, which is cheap here, and bought the limit of five. I may go back for more today. Also cranberries were .48/pkg. Normally they're over $1 a package. I picked up 2 packages. They go great in crisps and muffins.

Paul and I have been walking places. I've walked to a couple of meetings so far. Plus I've had friends drive me places. Plus I've had friends come in. And, when we can't get together, we've been talking on the phone. Paul and I have also taken the opportunity to go to the gym on our gym pass...which is cheaper than paying every time you go. We bought the passes last winter and had visits left on them.

I've been working on projects already in the house. I cut out Paul's flannel pajamas yesterday. I also pinned the final pieces of my Experimental Quilt together. I was disappointed as they seem shorter than the rest of the quilt by about an inch. But I will repin today and see if I can ease the difference in the length of the quilt. I've finished spinning some Romney wool I have. I'll be working on plying it this weekend.

I cancelled out of some stressful groups I've been involved in. Funny how you don't notice how stressful something is until you go away on vacation and come back to it. It was like having a weight lifted off my shoulders. I feel much better for saying "no". The people in the groups are pretty gossipy and cliquish. I just am tired of it. I have more than enough to do this winter.

I've been watching some sewing instructional DVDs by Sandra Betzina I have in the house. I am hoping to do more sewing this winter. I have a ton of fabric that needs to be used up. Plus I need new clothes now I'm 15 lbs. lighter.

I have also been reading a library discard book called "French Women Don't Get Fat". I already eat like French women and I am still fat. It's due to medication. But I plan to keep up my exercise and diet regimen this winter. I want to lose at least another 10 lbs. by Christmas.

Guess that's all my frugal news so far. I am planning a busy weekend...and week ahead. I'll post when I can.

We're Home!

2009-10-21T03:59:15Z

It's been really hectic the last few days and has cost us a lot of money, but we're home. Saturday we went back to Halifax, took some university student nieces out to lunch, connected up with kids and took a whack of them to Pier 21. After some coming and goings a group of us ended up at East Side Mario's for supper. We paid for all this...poor university kids.

Sunday we picked up Lisa and took her out to the old farm. Stopped different places along the way to show her points of interest/significance to the family. Stopped at the cemetery to put flowers on Mom's grave...and to tell Lisa who was related to her and who wasn't. She was related to most everyone in that cemetery. Took her on a drive through to the coast. Stopped at a lovely inn for tea...only to find out it was originally the home of an ancestor! We had a good laugh over that serendipitous event.

We were back in Halifax by suppertime. Rounded up kids to take out to supper to celebrate birthdays (different kids). We accidentally ended up at a very expensive restaurant. We checked on-line and thought we had an affordable place. Turns out the upstairs is an expensive restaurant, while the downstairs is more modest. We were seated upstairs and Paul and I did a double take when we saw the menu. Lisa wanted to get up and go downstairs right away. I looked at Paul. He looked at me. He said we were staying. Later he told me it was good for the kids to go outside their comfort zone once in a while. I suggested once every 50 years! It was a $350CAD meal for 7 adults. And the food was drenched in butter. I hate it when they do that. I don't care that they have a first rate view overlooking the harbour. It's not worth that much.

Monday Paul and I decided to go to Dalhousie to look for an alumni t-shirt for him. Then we went out to Peggy's Cove for lunch. Normally we'd go out for supper for our anniversary. But our anniversary was Sunday and we had birthdays to celebrate. We had a good time, but nostalgic, at the Sou'Wester Restaurant. After cruising a few art galleries we came back into town.

Stopped by Meghan's to say good-bye. Then went downtown to the Public Gardens and to wander Spring Garden Road. Just looking. It's an old haunt of mine and I wanted to see how it had changed. We went down to Point Pleasant Park for a bit. Stopped by a niece's to pick up some frozen PEI wild blueberries Laura (my sister) gave us. Met Lisa and Carl at Opa's for supper. Decided to forego their dessert and pick up a DQ ice-cream log instead. It was Lisa's birthday and it's her favourite dessert.

Headed out to the airport Holiday Inn Express. I am sold on the Holiday Inn Express. It is a beautiful hotel with nice comfy rooms. We were able to afford it because a friend who works with Holiday Inn gave us a Friends and Family discount. It amounted to 30% off. We snuck in just before the promotion ended the end of September. The hotel provides a really nice continental breakfast and free shuttle service to the airport terminal.

We flew home today...with a screaming 2 year old boy beside us for 3 hours. He was really cute when he wasn't screaming. But by the time we disembarked both of us had colossal headaches. We came home for Tylenol and rest.

The cupboard was bare when we arrived, so we had lunch out at Subway and then went grocery shopping. It was $160CAD, but I consider that good. We had no meat, no veggies, no fruit, no breadstuff. And there were a couple of good sales on I couldn't resist. Cranberries were .48/pkg. Tuna was .80/can limit of 5. Salmon fillets were a $1.50 off. Large pumpkins were $2.98. Broccoli was .78/bunch. Tomatoes were .76/lb. We can finally afford to eat again!

Walked to a local store to spin. Finished spinning my Romney wool finally! Came home and made supper. I've been phoning people letting them know we're back and they can pick up their stuff...or simply that we're back. I'm currently doing laundry.

I am sad we had to leave, but glad to be home. I like my house. I just wish I could transport it and all my friends down east to be with my family. It's hard to live so far away from them. Still, I thank God for our safe journey, and for the fact the girls are doing well.

Fibre Festival Friday...

2009-10-16T16:00:48Z

Today we're in Amherst Nova Scotia enjoying the Fibre Arts Festival. We've been all over downtown going to quilt shows, rug hooking shows and a bazaar. We even made it to the Farmer's Market. The quilting is incredible. There is hand quilting as well as machine quilting. The machine quilting isn't quite up to the standards of my home town. But it's certainly good quality work...just not as varied. The hand quilting is to die for! Very fine stitches in some cases.

I enjoyed seeing samples of penny rugs as well. And they sell the wool to make penny rugs here too. I have some at home so walked on by.

There is also a needle felting presence. I picked up a kit for needle felting a goldfinch. I've always wanted to try it and this gives me the opportunity. The needle felting kits in my home town are small and not the sort of thing I'd use or like.

Mostly I've been enjoying the rug hooking presence. I made a second visit to Deanne Fitzpatrick's rug hooking studio today to look for sky ideas for my hollyhock rug. It's sitting unfinished due to lack of materials to fit my imagination. I think I have everything covered now. So that should complete two rugs for me this year - the hollyhocks and the moose.

We visited the library in Amherst last night and had a good look at the rugs and needle felted pieces hanging there. Also took the opportunity to check out their book collection. It is very old and weighted towards fiction. Usually that's a sign of a population without much education...a poorer community. Paul checked on-line when we went back to the hotel and found a study on Amherst that gave demographics, etc. He was able to confirm what we thought while perusing the library. Funny, with all the fibre arts here you wouldn't think of it as a poorer area. Usually those hobbies are the result of people with extra time and money.

The business district is really picking up here. I think their downtown revitalization committee is doing an excellent job! The downtown is very walkable.

Yesterday's costs were low. We spent ~$30 on food. Our hotel room has a microwave so we stopped by the grocery store for microwavable meals. I picked up a Lean Cuisine Spa meal of chicken, pasta and veggies.

I did a quick tally of all expenses related to the trip...including everything we've bought along the way. We're at $4600CAD. Totally expected. $500 of that is my hobby stuff (yes, I'm stocking up!). I'm not worried as this will last me a few years and I can always pay for it out of my own money if Paul is worried about bills. We're heading home in a few days. We'll come close to our $5000 budget. And we've had a wonderful time!

Travel Time Thursday!

2009-10-15T11:46:31Z

We're still on the road. This past week has been busy. I shopped all the yarn stores in Halifax. Really liked the unspun wool at the Loop. Picked up some silk yarn at Tangled Skeins in Dartmouth. Made a trip to Mahone Bay in the pouring rain with Meghan and Bob to see Have a Yarn and Encompassing Designs rug hooking shop. Also stopped in at Amos Pewter. Sebastien, the guy making the pewter, was very friendly and chatted with Bob about the Nova Scotia College of Art and Design...where Bob eventually hopes to go.

For my part I supported the rug hooking industry. I was visiting yarn shops in an attempt to find some Scotian silk yarn for a friend. Alas, there is but one ugly skein left in Halifax. The lady who dyes it is waiting for a shipment of wool to come in from overseas.

Last Friday we drove from Halifax to Moncton, NB. We stopped at the bakery in Brookfield. Actually we were going to stop at another rug hooking store, but it was closed. The bakery though, is to die for! It had all sorts of unusual goodies I hadn't anticipated. Date cookies, almond cookies, oatcakes, etc. Really good stuff. Totally off my diet...except maybe the date oatmeal cookies...which I bought. At any rate, Paul and I were well fed on our way up the highway.

In Amherst, NS we stopped for lunch and to look over the wares at Deanne Fitzpatrick's rug hooking studio. I'd bought a moose rug pattern from her a few years ago and was stymied thinking about how to hook the moose so it wouldn't be boring. She lost no time rounding up what I needed. It didn't cost too much...though more than I would have liked.

On our way into Moncton we stopped at London-Wul Farms. I was surprised to find the Mission Falls yarn I've been looking for for over a year there. I was not going to order it on-line. I just can't justify the mailing costs. I was able to buy all but one colour. I noticed they were going out of rug hooking fabric and into yarn. Interesting...

In Moncton we enjoyed dinner out in a tavern with relatives. It was my first time in a tavern in 30 odd years. I don't have a good history with taverns. Strangers keep buying me drinks. However, this was really just an old fashioned English pub. It allowed children for certain hours and not for others. The chef is really good! Whoever he/she is! I had a beautiful salmon and mussel dish. I shared dessert with two other people.

We spent Saturday morning at the Moncton Markets...there are two farmer's markets there: one French and one English. Seems odd. But truth be told, they need two as both of them completely fill the space they're in. Beautiful wares!

Took off shopping with kids in the afternoon and didn't buy a thing. I spent some time entertaining a Korean girl who was visiting the family I was staying with. I didn't realize till later that she was an IB student in art. When she finally saw my handwork she was absolutely enthralled. It was a nice positive affirmation for me. :)

Supper that night was a large family dinner at a nearby relative's. Then a bunch of us raced to catch Micheal Moore's new movie, "Capitalism: a Love Story". Interesting...

Sunday we hopped in the car and raced to Montague, PEI, hoping to make it to my other sister's by noon...before when my kids arrived. We beat them by 15 minutes. I spent the afternoon helping Laura, my younger sister, make Thanksgiving dinner. We had a blast! My son-in-law Carl likes to cook. So we had him make the mashed potatoes and help chop the squash. He knows what to do with a knife. The guys also made fresh apple cider for everyone to drink. My brother-in-law, Dick, handed around some of his homemade mead. I passed on that! Then there was the homemade cranberry wine...which I hear was awful. Then there was the homemade blueberry wine...which was really mostly liquour! It made for an interesting Thanksgiving Day.

Paul and I were able to pass Brian, a friend's son, his large suitcase from his mother. He came over to pick it up and for Thanksgiving dinner. Thankfully Laura didn't mind the extra body. It made 21 people for supper that night. Both she and Karen, my older sister, had made four pies without the other knowing. It was great because we had plenty to eat the next two days, plus we sent some home with all the university kids.

We spent a lot of time visiting, walking and I spent time stitching on the needlecases, spinning and knitting while there.

Tuesday Laura and I went into the Buy-Rite in Montague, PEI and I bought tons of quilting fabric for $3.99-$4.99 a metre. Beautiful stuff!

We also stopped at the Belfast Woollen Mills on the way to the ferry back to NS. We had a wonderful tour of the mill and I admit I blew a wad of money there. It was the qiviut that did it!

We also stopped in Pictou, NS where I picked up some local yarn. We raced into Halifax. We had shopping to do and Paul and I needed to eat. We took the kids to Opa's, a local Greek restaurant...very good food...and nice waiter. Then did the rounds of the shopping district picking up items the Meghan and Bob needed.

Wednesday a friend came in to visit with us with her family. She makes jewellry and sells it on-line and off. She brought several pairs of earrings for me and showed me some of the necklaces they were making for sale. Her children help too. One of the necklaces her daughter made was drop down dead gorgeous! She said they were selling them for $25. I told her that was too cheap, and snapped it up! We went out to lunch together and had a wonderful time.

In the afternoon we went shopping with Meghan again. She bought me my birthday and Christmas present. Or rather, she had me pick it out and she paid for it! It's hard to pick out presents for a university student to buy when you know the money is coming from Student Loans or yourself!

We took Carl and Lisa out to supper last night to a Chinese buffet and wished we hadn't. It was really hard on both Carl's and my systems. Next time we'll know better. Thankfully there were a lot of options though. I think for the most part I just ate too much.

Well, that's our trip to date. I'm afraid I'm spending lots of money on yarn, roving and rug hooking...but that was anticipated and really the second reason for the trip. I discovered in my ramblings that there is not a decent stitching store in the Maritimes. That surprised me. People must order on-line. Or they all work second jobs and no one has time to stitch...