Saturday, January 28, 2017

Five on Friday

Joining up with Amy's Five on Friday today.

I've not been able to blog much for the past few weeks. I've been working on a few projects in all my spare time, and just couldn't find time to blog. Thank you for all your kind comments on the knitted scarf I last wrote about. I apologize for not replying to comments (which I normally do), but time has not been on my side lately. I haven't been able to finish that scarf as I didn't have enough yarn to make it as long as I like. I haven't quite decided what I'll do with it, but the yarn is too beautiful to be cast aside. I have a couple of ideas though, both of which involve ripping back the entire scarf.

One: Last weekend my husband and I took the dog for a walk at Heber Downs Conservation Area at the north end of my town. We were surprised to see snow in the woods as it's been so rainy and mild all this winter. There is no snow where I live closer to Lake Ontario. The path was quite icy, but the woods were pretty with fog hanging low in several spots. We walked along the paths that I have only recently started to explore ... and we got lost. Lost in the woods! The paths are not marked, which I find amazing for a conservation area, and it seems people have created their own paths criss-crossing through the woods. We followed one such path straight across the woods and met up with a well-worn path along the other side. Unfortunately, that well-worn path soon petered out into nothing in a very boggy, icy, deep snow section, and that's where we got lost. We didn't want to back track ... I hate backtracking ... so futile ... I want to complete the trail! We did have to go back a little ways as the bog was getting too difficult to get through. We ended up finding someone's laneway through the woods and came out on a road quite far from where we thought we were. Where we came out onto the road was a sign "Private Property/No Trespassing" ... oops! It was a long walk back to the truck, and rather than seeing the fun and adventure in that, my husband just got annoyed. Oh well, Cody and I enjoyed the adventure ;)







 

Two: This is one of the projects I was working on. One of my daycare clients recently had a baby girl, and despite the fact that I know she was given a large number of outfits from someone at her work, I couldn't resist knitting up this little dress. I had a heck of time with the gauge as I knit quite loosely. I must have knit about five swatches to get the gauge correct. I think I knit half a dress with just those swatches! Anyway, I was pleased with the results ... my first dress! This was knit in the round and I only had to join the shoulder straps with kitchener stitch and it was done. I made the hat up myself copying the "trellis" pattern from the yoke of the dress. 


Three: Yesterday we had sunshine. This fact alone deserves a post of its own! We have had such a grey and dark winter this year. Very little snow where I am, and every day it seems has been overcast and either raining or drizzling, or just plain yuck. When it does snow, it has turned to freezing rain and made a mess of the roads. I can't even remember the last time we had a sunny day ... I think it was in the fall. When the sun broke through yesterday morning, I told the parents we were skipping the library storytime and heading to the woods instead. They didn't argue as they knew their kids were getting tired of being indoors. So we travelled over to Lynde Marsh and had a relaxing walk in the fresh air. These are not my favourite woods as they are now well-worn from so many people walking through, but I take what I can get. We went along the boardwalk first that heads straight out into the marsh. The marsh is loaded with Canada geese & swans. When the swans saw us, they paddled over to us in a big hurry looking for handouts. We had a bit of corn for them, and a few seeds for the chickadees that came to us in the woods. The turkeys are still there too, and they are such fun to feed and hear them "gobble". It's been so mild that earlier this week my son and I saw a great blue heron flying across towards a little pond in our neighbourhood. Normally herons migrate until early spring. I've also seen flocks of robins all winter long, both here in my yard and again in Heber Downs.

 




Four: Visits to dear old Dad have continued, but not as often as I would like. It seems everyone I care for lately is on a jigsaw puzzle craze. My daycare kids can't seem to get enough of jigsaw puzzles this winter, and when I saw Dad recently, we also did a puzzle together. My mom and dad used to do jigsaw puzzles all through the long winter months. They would have a table set up in the living room just for jigsaws and would work away at them together. I too like working on a jigsaw, but these days there always seems to be something else I need to work on instead. It was nice to slow down and do this (surprisingly difficult!) puzzle with Dad.




Five: I am now working on a project for Dad. I'm knitting him a lap blanket. Possibly the worst winter to knit a blanket, but I've put this off for a few years now because I couldn't decide on a pattern. (I know, I spend far too long making these decisions!)  Despite the fact that I have a lot of blanket patterns to choose from, I finally decided to just knit the thing in stockinette stitch. I'll share more on this next week with Jennifer's Winter Project link.

Thanks for stopping by today, and have a great weekend!

Wendy



23 comments:

  1. Good five. We once got lost on a walk we were doing in England, my husband's brother and sister-in-law were with us and she freaked out. It wasn't hard to get unlost, but she was really upset. That dress is adorable, such a pretty design. Love doing puzzles, I just finished one too.

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  2. Thanks for sharing your Five on Friday! Love seeing the walks! I really enjoy going on them. The swans look lovely.

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  4. The little dress and hat you made are very sweet. It's too bad you'll be ripping out the scarf you made but I'll look forward to seeing what you knit instead.

    Karen

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  5. Too bad about not having enough yarn to finish your scarf. But the pink dress and hat are adorable! Good for you! Getting lost in the woods can be an adventure, or just annoying. I'm sure your little charges were happy to get out in the faint sunshine and play in the woods, too.

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  6. Hello, I guess I would not mind being lost in the forest. Just for a little while. The pink dress is adorable, a lovely gift. The swans and pretty and neat sighting of the turkeys. Happy Saturday, enjoy your weekend!

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  7. I've never heard of that conservation area before. It looks pretty this time of year.

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  8. Thank you for the tour of the woods, it's always nice to get out for those walks. I love the dress you knitted and the photos of your Dad doing his puzzle. Jigsaw puzzles are enjoyable for sure. I used to do them many, many years ago and would love to get back at that myself. Enjoy your weekend and hope you find some spare time to do everything you love.

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  9. Thank you for the tour of the woods, it's always nice to get out for those walks. I love the dress you knitted and the photos of your Dad doing his puzzle. Jigsaw puzzles are enjoyable for sure. I used to do them many, many years ago and would love to get back at that myself. Enjoy your weekend and hope you find some spare time to do everything you love.

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  10. That is the prettiest little pink dress...something she can keep and cherish for the baby. And a lap blanket will be a nice project. The hike looks very cold to me but glad you made it back safely! Hugs!

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  11. A beautiful little baby set. Your photos of your walks are lovely - sometimes it is just nice to get out into the fresh air and clear your mind - nothing like that happening here - temps are up around the 40 deg and over - sticking close to the air cons!!

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  12. Even though she may have tons of outfits, that sweet little crocheted dress will surely be cherished long pass when it's outgrown.

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  13. I walked those trails with my grandchildren when they were still of an age where they were willing to walk with Granny!
    We have FEET of snow just a couple of hours drive northeast!

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  14. Getting lost in the woods, what fun! Great pix too. At least you're getting out.

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  15. Such a beautiful dress and hat. We seem to be doing a lot of jigsaws at the moment the perfect Winter pastime.

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  16. Good thing you didn't run into the Blair Witch when you got lost in the woods! The knitted dress is too cute! Your post reminded me that I should start working on the teacups puzzles that I received last Christmas.

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  17. Sorry you got lost, but I did enjoy seeing where you got lost. The dress and hat you knit are precious...so beautiful! I have been doing a little puzzling this winter too...but more knitting and crochet. I hope you enjoy your lap blanket making :)

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  18. What a great list of five, dear Wendy. I enjoyed it all, especially the snowy walk in the woods - getting lost is scary, and I am glad you worked your way out again. The little pink dress and hat are beyond beautiful, and what a lucky little girl to receive it. Swans are adorable - I believe they mate for life, very impressive. And I am cheering for your Dad, going so well with the jigsaws. Great post Wendy.

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  19. OH those woods are gorgeous! I would enjoy a long walk through those trees for sure.
    Beautiful pink dress for the baby I'm sure her mommy will love it.
    My oldest daughter and her three boys are enjoying jigsaw puzzles right now. I think it's a great past time for children and the elderly. Wish I had more room to put one out.

    Blessings~

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  20. OH those woods are gorgeous! I would enjoy a long walk through those trees for sure.
    Beautiful pink dress for the baby I'm sure her mommy will love it.
    My oldest daughter and her three boys are enjoying jigsaw puzzles right now. I think it's a great past time for children and the elderly. Wish I had more room to put one out.

    Blessings~

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  21. Good to catch up with your news my friend. Glad you have been enjoying your various makings and getting out and about. Hope that you get more sunny days!

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  22. Oh, to have a woods for walks - and one with swans is really a bonus.

    The little pink outfit will make some little lady a princess.

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  23. One time I got lost in our little woods. It's about 25 acres...which really isn't that big for a woods, but I got scared. Luckily, I had my phone in my back pocket, which has a compass on it, which I used! It's silly really, now that I look back on it, but I was alone! I need sunshine bad. I totally understand where you are coming from with the dark, foggy, winter days. We seem to have had our share this year. I'm going on a trip in a few days, to sunny Florida. I need some Vitamin D!

    Cindy

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