Celebrating Life and Plans for Knitting

Hello Friends,

I hope you are doing well. It has been a bit busier lately and I am also getting ready for a new season. Last night I went to my great uncle Paul's celebration of Life which was a funeral service at the church, followed by a reception and many lovely speeches about memories of him. He was an amazing man and had so many friends and family that adored him,  he will be missed. It made me reflect on our lives and how we touch the lives of others and what kind of legacy we want to leave behind to family and friends. We choose how we treat others and ourselves each day and we can work on accomplishing our goals and dreams so we feel fulfilled at the end of our lives. A recent retirement party at work also made me think of this as well as she was well loved and respected by so many colleagues. I can learn a lot from both my uncle and my manager for the lives they lead and how they treated others.

“We are made for loving. If we don’t love, we will be like plants without water.” ― Desmond Tutu.

“Don't judge each day by the harvest you reap but by the seeds that you plant.” ― Robert Louis

I finished the Michele hat a couple of weeks ago and I have not cast on a new project since. It always feels so weird when I don't have a knitting project on the go. I love to knit and watch YouTube and television shows and my hands feel so empty when I am not knitting. I also love how you can feel so productive when working on a project while watching things otherwise I have this feeling like I should be doing something else. I will probably go by Michaels to pick up some yarn for a new project soon and maybe start on a quick project in the meantime. Easter is coming so I might be inspired to knit something for Easter. Some projects that I found on Ravelry that looked cute and fun to knit were Henry's Bunny,and Tiny Parlor Cat. I might knit both of these as gifts. I am still researching shawl patterns to start one soon.

I am still reading Quiet by Susan Cain and A Spark of Light by Jodi Picoult. I am enjoying both books and will be finished soon and ready to start a new book.

How was your weekend? What are you reading and working on?

Knitted Earbud Pouch, Updates, and Reading On

Hello Friends,

I hope you are doing well. It snowed here a lot in Toronto all day Monday and into the night. We got 15 centimeters of snow. I was able to leave work on Monday in the early afternoon to work from home which was nice. Once I was inside and out of the snow, it was okay that it was a winter wonderland outside and pretty when looking out the window. Today I was also able to work from home and avoid the snowy roads for a little while longer. The streets are still not plowed properly on some side streets and cars are getting stuck in the snow. I am hoping tomorrow will be better when I drive.

I finished knitting a small pouch for my earbuds using a pattern called Earbud Pouch by Mary Keenan found on Ravelry. It was the perfect quick knitting project I was looking for. I needed somewhere to put my earbuds instead of just throwing them into my bag to take to work which gets them all tangled or I lose them. Now with this pouch I will be able to keep them from tangling together and they are more compact. The yarn I used for this project is Manos Del Uruguay yarn in the colorway Happy. I had some leftover from when I knitted the fingerless mittens using this yarn. I love the white with the pops of color in the yarn.

Lots of room inside for the earbuds

Pouch with the earbuds fully inside

I have been working on knitting the fingerless mittens for my mom and will be gifting them to her soon. I will be looking at some yarn projects on Ravelry to figure out what I will make next and then will be heading to Michael's soon to buy some yarn. I am due for a yarn shopping trip.

I have been reading Nine Perfect Strangers by Liane Moriarty and cannot wait to read what happens next. I am so interested in the characters, their stories, and what will happen to them on this retreat. I have also been reading How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie every morning for about a week. I am applying the principles I am learning from the book in my daily life. I like reading it in the morning because then I can think of the tips when I am going about my day and how to best interact with others in a respectful way. I finished reading The Miracle Morning by Hal Elrod and have been loving my mornings since applying the steps to have a miracle morning. I will be sharing my experience with the miracle morning in a blog post soon.

Joining along with Frontier Dreams for Crafting On and Small Things for Yarn Along.

Thank you for visiting my blog today! What are you making and reading this week?

Have a great day

Books I Received for Christmas

Hello Friends,


I hope you are doing well. I have been getting back into the routine of regular daily life after the busy and wonderful holidays. I also have been trying to cut back on sugar and get back to eating somewhat healthily. I wanted to share with you the books I received for Christmas this year. Receiving books always makes me feel excited and full of hope for new beginnings and to take something special from each one. I usually ask for both fiction novels and also books I can journal in or that inspire me to live a great life in the New Year. This year I received both books I asked for and some others that I saw in the store or were gifted to me as a surprise.

1. Nine Perfect Strangers by Liane Moriarty

I received the book Nine Perfect Strangers by Liane Moriarty for Christmas and have really been enjoying it. I like the description of the house they are staying in and I love all the wonderful descriptions of both the outdoor and indoor setting. Moriarty does such a good job at making you feel like you can see exactly what is going on and it feels like a movie you can't wait to un-pause every time you pick the book back up again. I like the characters already and find them interesting and each with their own struggles and quirks.

2. A Spark of Light by Jodi Picoult. 

This one has been on the best seller list for quite awhile now and it really piqued my interest. The subject matter is serious of a shooting and all that occurs in that situation. I am so curious about this
book and to see where Picoult takes this topic.

3. The Wedding Date by Jasmine Guillory 

This book is about a man and a woman who first get stuck in the elevator together, and the man is
looking for a date to a wedding and asks the woman to be his date as his fake girlfriend. It sounds like it will be really funny and heartwarming as well.

4. A Year of Living Happily: Week-by-Week Activities to Unlock the Secrets of a Happier Way of Being by Lois Blyth

This book looks like it will be an amazing tool for me to keep living positively and seeking happiness in 2019 and future years. I saw this one while Christmas shopping with my mom and sister and my mom bought it for me because I got excited about it. Thanks Mom! The book starts with an introduction on happiness which I have read a bit of on Christmas Day. Then there are activities for each week. This week's activity is "looking for happiness" and the task is to start a happiness journal to record three things each day that brings you joy and pleasure. I started this last night and wrote a few things for each day this week that made me happy and it has been a great practice. It is much like a gratitude journal, which I have found so helpful in the past in focusing on the positive instead of the negative.

5. Superfood Smoothies by Julie Morris

This book is jam packed with so many amazing smoothie recipes. It includes 100 different recipes to try and I will make an effort to try most of them. I really enjoy making the banana peanut butter smoothie I have mentioned on the blog before but want to expand my horizons with trying new
smoothie recipes. I will be trying one of these recipes out next week! My Fiance bought this for me for Christmas so I should make him one too!

I am looking forward to this year for reading because I have received some amazing new books and I always have my eye on more amazing reads. I love perusing Goodreads which I helps me to discover the next book I want to read. I love looking at the Goodreads awards at the end of the year and deciding what to read based on nominations as well as the winners. The site got me interested in Nine Perfect Strangers and A Spark of Light.

I am still knitting away at the mittens and the second mitten is almost done. I am looking forward to sharing them with you when they are finished and gifted to my mom.

Thank you for visiting my blog today! Please let me know in the comments below what books you received as gifts, purchased for the New Year, are excited to read, or are reading right now.

Have a great day!

Knitting the Wool and the Gang Top and Reading On

Hello Friends,

I hope you are all doing well. This week felt like it went by so fast. I am enjoying being back at work now and liking working in office administration. It was a big career change for me and I am happy I am liking this type of work. You can read more about my change in career from an old post I wrote last November: 'Career Change, Job Searching, and New Beginnings'. 

This week I made some progress on knitting the back piece of the Wool and the Gang Farrah Billie Jean top by knitting some more rows. I would like to make more progress over the weekend and hopefully finish the piece next week by working on it a bit each day. We shall see how the week goes.

I am currently reading Commonwealth by Ann Patchett and I am already really interested in the story line and seeing what will happen. So far it is making me think of the book Truly Madly Guilty by Liane Moriarty when there is a barbecue and you knew something big was about to happen (Also a really good book!). I like that in Commonwealth there are multiple characters and you learn about them in depth because of how the book switches to their different perspectives. I am looking forward to reading more of Commonwealth and seeing what these characters get involved in as I read further. Below is a photo of the book Commonwealth from the library with a "Read the North" tote from Indigo I received as a gift and it now comes with me to pick up library books and pack my books if I am travelling.

Joining along with As Kat Knits for Unraveled Wednesday.

Thank you for visiting the blog today. I will be trying to get back on track with the old routine of posting earlier in the week.

Hope you have a great day!

Happy Spring! Knitting Progress, and Reading

Hello Friends,

I hope you are doing well. I am so happy today is the first day of Spring!  It was a bit warmer today and sunny outside. It will be warmer this week too and I am looking forward to it. I have been working on knitting the beanie lately which I won't be able to wear that long, but I can probably get a bit more wear out of it before the weather is too warm for it.

I have made more progress on the beanie and getting to the end of the first skein of Patons yarn I purchased. I will need to buy another one to complete the beanie. I also want it to be extra slouchy so I will be knitting it the most that is suggested for extra slouchiness. I am using the Barley Light pattern by Tin Can Knits on Ravelry. I am really enjoying knitting this beanie so far and the pattern is really nice with the patch of purl on one side and the rest is knit. I really like the texture that is created by the knitting and purling every other row on that part of the hat.

The Wool and the Gang Farrah Billie Jean top is coming along as well. I am working on the back piece and will be focusing on it more once I finish the beanie. 

I have still been reading Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman. It is such a good book so far and I am loving the characters. I have been listening to the audiobook Total Money Makeover by Dave Ramsey. I am wanting to get into budgeting and have heard many great things about his strategies in paying off debt and also saving for your future. I am liking it so far and I am looking forward to learning more as I listen to more of the book. I really like audiobooks because I can also knit while listening to them so it is perfect for learning and getting some reading in while making progress on my knitting at the same time.

Joining along with Frontier Dreams for Crafting On and As Kat Knits tomorrow for Unraveled Wednesday.

Thank you for visiting the blog today. What are you working on this week?

Have a great day!

Knitting Progress and Reading

Hello Friends,

I hope you are doing well. Yesterday was Family Day for us in Ontario, Canada and it was nice to have the day off to get a few more things done towards my knitting, reading, and blogging. I will be starting a three week work contract today through the employment agency I am working for. I am excited for this new job to start and I am happy to be getting back out there working again. I also had a couple assignments last week which I enjoyed.

I have been been knitting the Wool and the Gang Farrah Billie Jean top and have made some progress on it. I am close to being finished knitting one half of the front piece and just have the other side of the neckline and strap to knit. I decided to just keep knitting it the length it asks for.I had been concerned about the length, but now I am thinking it will be fine and if it is too short, I can wear another tank top underneath it.

I have finished reading Wild by Cheryl Strayed. This book got mixed reviews, some people liked it and some did not. I did like it, but felt like it was a bit long and repetitive at times. What drew me to the book was that I love reading books where the protagonist sets out on a journey and reflects on their past and their new journey changes them and allows them to approach life differently. I feel like Cheryl's hike on the PCT did affect her and change for the better and encourage her to reflect on her life. I have now started reading Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman and I am really enjoying it so far.

I would like to start knitting a new project soon and have held off for awhile on starting something new because I wanted to make more progress on the Wool and the Gang top and also had to finish off some work on some gifts and a I was working on for someone. I have been thinking a colorful shawl would be a fun next project. I will be searching for patterns for my next project this week and brainstorming ideas.

What are you working on and reading this week?

Joining along with Frontier Dreams for Crafting On and As Kat Knits for Unraveled Wednesday tomorrow.

Thank you for visiting my blog today and reading about what I am knitting and reading this week! Now I am off to see what others are working on.

Have a great day!

Knitting Progress, Crafting Projects on Trend, and Reading On

Hello Friends,

I hope you are doing well. I have been making slow and steady progress on knitting the front piece of the Wool and the Gang Farrah Billie Jean top. I have knitted more of the front piece. I have knitted 11 inches so far on the front piece and need to knit 3.5 inches more before I can begin shaping the armholes. It seems like it will be on the shorter side just looking at it, but the pattern says 22" in length which is fine. I will have to see how it looks when it is completed to know if I should add some length on.

Some crafting trends that have been interesting to me are the punch needle wall art featured in the Crafter's Box. I first saw this on Darling Be Brave's Instagram story and then also followed Crafter's box and love the look of the project. I had never heard of rug hooking before and it makes me think of latch hooking that I once loved to do. The Crafter's Box has partnered with BookHou for their February box and so many people have already been inquiring about getting their hands on a box to get started on this fun and beautiful project. The finished project is beautiful and would look amazing up on the wall.

Punch Needle Wall Art Photo source Crafter's Box

The Another project or type of knitting that has caught my eye is the Fringe Association  Log Cabin Make-Along hosted by Karen Templer. I think this new trend in knitting looks so amazing and has been popping up all over my Instagram feed. I would like to learn more about it and try out a project using this technique. I am planning on buying some yarn to start my own log cabin blanket soon. I love the color combination below with the gray, cream, and black. I might copy this combination for my blanket.

Log Cabin Knitting project Photo Source Fringe Association

Has anyone given either of these two new trends a try? Do you know of any other new trends? I find it so interesting how there are always new fun things to discover within our craft. I am hoping to try out these two new trends this year.

I have finished Stuff Every Vegetarian Should Know by Katherine Mcguire and I really enjoyed it and think it is the perfect little book to refer to and grab when you are cooking or need to refresh yourself on what you should eat to be a healthy vegetarian. I have been vegetarian for four months now (since September 2017) and I have been loving it. I do not really miss meat and I am always discovering new foods and recipes I love. I feel great and have also cut back on dairy more and more. There is always more to learn and discover. I hope that in 2018 I try more vegetarian and vegan recipes, and to keep learning more about the lifestyle.
I am also still reading Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail by Cheryl Strayed and I am almost finished. It has been an interesting read and I have been thinking a hiking trip like the one she took would be very tough to do and not everyone could do it that's for sure! I know I couldn't do it on my own. I am looking forward to watching the movie once I am finished reading the book.

Books I am reading this week

Joining along with Frontier Dreams for Crafting On and As Kat Knits for Unraveled Wednesday.

Thank you for visiting my blog today and reading about my knitting progress, some new trends in crafting projects, and what I am reading.

I hope you have a great day!

One Fingerless Mitt Already Knit and Reading On

Hello Friends,

I hope you are all doing well. I have been working on knitting the fingerless mittens lately and of course job searching. I have finished knitting the first mitten and love how it turned out and how comfortable it is. I am using the pattern Ribbed Fingerless Mitts by Kathy North which I found on Ravelry. The mittens are a fun, quick, and easy knit, and perfect for beginner knitters. I really enjoyed knitting this mitten up while watching TV because of its easy and repetitive pattern. I will be starting the second glove tonight and will hopefully be done before the weekend. I am looking forward to wearing them and it is supposed to be a bit warmer this weekend, so these fingerless mittens will be perfect to wear.

First finished ribbed fingerless mitten

comfortable fit and stretch

I haven't worked too much on the Wool and the Gang Farrah Billie Jean top, but made some progress by knitting a few rows. The front piece is pictured below with the progress photo of the first fingerless mitten.

I finished reading The Sun and Her Flowers by Rupi Kaur and really loved it. I love how there are poems about many different topics and she covers many issues women face and deal with all the time. I loved the poems about heartbreak, growth, and falling in love and being in love and loved. I plan to read these poems often and select ones which comfort me at the time and also make me reflect on life. I did reflect on each poem, and many made me reflect on what I had read because I felt emotions. Because of the nature of the poems, they make you reflect on your past and your life and family. I recommend it if you have not yet read it. I could not put it down.
I am still reading Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail by Cheryl Strayed and Stuff Every Vegetarian Should Know by Katherine Mcguire.  This little book has a lot of tips on what to have in your pantry and how to get the right nutrients needed on this diet. It also includes meal plans if you need some ideas on what to eat. I am enjoying it so far and it will be a great reference book as well to add to my cookbooks.

Joining along with Frontier Dreams for Crafting On, and As Kat Knits for Unraveled Wednesday. They are always busy working on lovely projects and others also link up to their posts about what they are working on each week. You can give them a visit if you like, and share what you're working on too.

Thank you for visiting my blog! If you would like to keep updated on when I post, please follow me on Bloglovin', Google Followers, and you can also subscribe at the top right corner of the blog.

Have a great day!

It Finally Snowed! Knitting Progress & Reading On

Hello Friends,

I hope you are doing well. We had our first big snowfall here in Toronto yesterday. I was out driving to get groceries and it was coming down a bit, but by the time I was leaving the store there was a lot more snow coming down and snow on the ground. I think it is finally time to get out my winter boots! I have managed to wear my sneakers outside until now because it hasn't even been that cold. Today I went for a walk and enjoyed walking through the snow and taking some photos. Below are some photos I took today of trees in the neighborhood that show the amount of snow we got.

Lately, I have been mostly trying to get my school work done. This morning I was working on some Excel training and just have an exam and some projects left for that course. I am currently entering exam week so I am excited for my exams to be done, then I have completed the courses for my certificate. I will be applying to get the certificate once exam week is done. I can't believe I will be done soon, then I will be finished school for a long time. I kept going back to school for certificates and my degree last year a couple of years ago. Now I am hoping to be done at the age of 29 haha. I know people go to school at any age. I might go back to do certificates or upgrading of skills.

I bought this picture of the quote "It always seems impossible until it is done" from IKEA a couple of weeks ago. I love it because this year I have felt like this whole plan of finishing this certificate and getting a job in a new field was impossible, but now I am almost done and things always seem so hard or impossible but then before you know it, it is done and you have accomplished what you set out to do. I am happy to have this picture up in the office now to remind myself of this every day. To keep persevering even when things seem impossible and they will never be done, one day you will accomplish it. This could also apply to difficult knitting projects! :)

It always seems impossible until it is done - Nelson Mandela

In knitting, I have been working on finishing up the second jumbo Christmas stocking. I have a large portion of it finished now and just working on those last few rows now and the toe shaping. I have been using the pattern Jumbo Christmas Stocking in a Jiffy- Striped  by Jennifer Jackson on Ravelry. These stockings really are what they say in the name JUMBO. We can sure fit a lot of stocking stuffers in there. My boyfriend and I are expecting a lot of stocking stuffers from each other now. I am looking forward to being able to hang them up soon once they are both done.

I started knitting the Wool and the Gang Farrah Billie Jean top and it is coming along nicely. I did have to frog quite a bit of it because I realized an error in my tension quite a ways back so I had to take it apart unfortunately. But I'm not in a rush right now to finish it and I have some gifts I am working on now so it won't be a huge priority right now to finish the front piece. I will be focusing more on this project in the new year.

I have still been reading the two books: My Not So Perfect Life: A Novel by Sophie Kinsella and Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail by Cheryl Strayed. I have been focusing more on reading My Not So Perfect Life because there is a long hold list on this book on Overdrive, since it just came out this year. When my loan is up I have to wait quite awhile to get it back. So this time, I have been trying to read it a lot more before I lose it again. I have been working on my goal to finish 10 books this year so I need to start reading a lot more and pick up some books I had stopped reading earlier in the year in order to get to my goal. I am currently at 7/10. Three more to go!

What are you reading and working on this week?

Joining along with Frontier Dreams for Crafting On and As Kat Knits for Unraveled Wednesday.

Thank you so much for visiting my blog today, if you would like to keep updated on when I post, please follow me on Bloglovin', Google Followers, and you can also subscribe through email at the top right corner of the blog.

Have a great day!

Knitting Progress and Reading On

Hello Friends,

I hope you are doing well. Today I was working on some school work and it is not too long now until I am finished my courses. I have been job searching lately and seeing what kind of work environments I am interested in. I still have some time before my courses are finished to take time to find the right thing.

I have also been knitting today and was working on knitting the second stocking. I have also been working on knitting the Wool and the Gang Farrah Billie Jean top, and the second mitten piece to go with the first mitten ornament.

Progress on top, stocking, and mitten ornament

The second stocking is coming along nicely, I am just on knitting the rows for the heel flap. I hope to have this stocking done soon so I can hang up both stockings together to decorate for Christmas.

Progress on second stocking

I have made quite a bit of progress on the front piece of the top for the Wool and the Gang Farrah top. I really love working with the yarn that came in the kit. I have never worked with up-cycled denim before so it is something new and fun.

Progress on WAG Farrah top

I finished reading the book Not Working by Lisa Owens a few days ago. I really enjoyed reading it! I wrote a book review about the book which you can read that here. I am starting to read Wild by Cheryl Strayed. I know I am pretty late to the game reading this book. It was voted best fiction on Goodreads in 2012 and has mixed reviews on Goodreads. I decided to go for it because I enjoyed reading stories about women who at crossroads and challenging times in their lives and to see what they decide to do and how they heal. Eat, Pray, Love is one of my favorite books/movies of and hopefully Wild is similar. I have wanted to read Wild for awhile now ever since watching an episode of Gilmore Girls and Lorelei Gilmore decides to go on her own hike with her extremely large backpack to make sense of things in her life and find clarity. There were lots of other women there as well and they kept asking each other if they were there because of the book or the movie and formed cliques based on that. I remember thinking that II would like to read it one day to see what the fuss is about.

What are you reading and working on this week?

Joining along with Frontier Dreams for Crafting On and AsKatKnits for Unwraveled Wednesday.

Thank you for visiting my blog today! If you would like to keep updated on when I post a blog entry, please follow me on Bloglovin', Google Followers, and subscribe by email at the top right corner of the blog.

Have a great day!