November Update

Wow!  Time flies even when you are in social distancing lock down mode.  I haven't done much quilting at all this year but I have done a lot of other stuff...

 Here is the first painting I did with my daughter over Zoom.  She teaches at one of those paint with wine places (and she is a grad student studying Opera Voice Performance).  She loves her job!  I love painting with her!  Here are the others I have done with her over Zoom...

And, she is a fantastic artist- here are her Halloween Pumpkins:

I have also been doing a lot of crochet:

This is me, modeling a Crochet hat, infinity scarf (and I made accompanying finger-less gloves) for my daughter's first Colorado winter.  She has already been wearing them.  It is made out of a baby yarn, chunky, self striping, from Hobby Lobby.  

I simply used double crochet, always going into the back loop only, which gave it a nice texture.  

I feel like I am finally understanding crochet enough and after I followed the hat pattern, I did the scarf and finger-less gloves on my own.  I wanted them to match the hat and could not find a pattern for the gloves that I liked.  After I had done the scarf on my own, I figured I could manage with the gloves too.  I am happy with the result but now she needs a set that isn't as bulky for when its not quite so cold.  

The pink/coral set pictured below is mine.  

I ordered the pom poms on Amazon.  Sooooooo much less expensive than local stores.  

I hope to make a few more for Christmas presents.  

This is a project that failed, made too short and so it became a cowl but I love it.  I will try again making it longer for the other experiment.  Creating your own pattern is challenging.  I was working from a picture I liked and still want to succeed but it may be after the holidays before I have time to experiment further.  

Here is a place mat I made.  I would love to make enough for the Thanksgiving table and I have enough yarn but I am in a major time crunch on Christmas projects so this may be a Center mat for Thanksgiving this year.  

 Some Halloween projects I actually got finished...The first is a painting tutorial from The Art Sherpa- 

Find her on Youtube if you want to spend some time painting!  

This is last year's Halloween Quilt that just needed a binding.  So, I managed to get that done.  Its still hanging in the entry way with all the other Halloween decor.  Need to find time to get that down this week and put Thanksgiving out.  

This Coffee Cozy made its way into the care package for my daughter in time for Halloween.  Who doesn't want a candy corn Mickey Mouse coffee cozy?

And, a friend and I have been doing a lot of Cricut work...

I have also been running and...something I never thought, in a hundred years, that I would ever do...

Climbing at the climbing gym with my husband and son.  They have been climbing partners for about 3 years and it has gotten really difficult to get their schedules to match up often enough.  My husband was thinking of giving it up if he couldn't get an additional partner- which he had done just before social distancing but then...social distancing.  Well, my husband is in the best shape of his life and he LOVES to climb so I wasn't having that.  I told him I would give it a try.  He was so appreciative and I was doing so well that after my month long trial membership, I kept going.  I now do top rope climbing with him as well as the auto belay and I am making good progress but it is challenging.  The best thing is I am not the only fat or old lady giving it a try.  There are a bunch of women who climb with their sons!  Its awesome!

On top of all this, I am still working from home as a high school librarian and I have one Young Adult Literature Class that I LOVE to teach!  Having an empty nest is the biggest challenge of all but I am so thankful that I have the opportunity to do all these things I love.  I see my son more often than when I didn't climb, often as a nice surprise because he found time away from homework and work to join us, unannounced, at the climbing gym.  

I hope everyone is having a lovely November filled with all that they are thankful for!  

Good luck on getting all of your projects done...

I will be a crocheting mad woman to get Christmas projects done!  Wish me luck!  I need all the help I can get....