Friday, February 24, 2012

Miscellaneous Updates

Everything seems to be moving along pretty good lately, just a few minor bumps, but that's life.

I made David 3 pairs of socks on the knitting machine.  He called and wanted to know how long they take to do, on the machine!  Then sent me pictures of sweaters!  One was a fair isle from Land's End.  I googled Men's Fair Isle Sweaters and there was the sweater, same model;  that is how I found out it was from Land's End.  I clicked on it and wow, it was on sale for 39.99.  There is no way I could buy even just 1 skein of each color for that price, so I bought it!  I'll be mailing it soon, along with the 3rd pair of socks and a scarf I made for Melissa.  I copied off the pattern and now I just have to take my Jamison & Smith yarn sample card to match up the colors, should I ever decide to make matching socks or vest or something with that pattern sequence.

I decided to make a key hole scarf for a friend but was to lazy to get up and look for my pattern.  So I found a similar one on Ravelry and changed that one a bit.  Actually, the original pattern was one Richard's mom had made in the early 70's and written the pattern on an envelope.  I have that envelope and one of the ones she made.

Then I saw a link, on Ravelry, for a Pinwheel Purse.  I've seen them before, but never had the pattern.  So I immediately printed the pattern and made the pieces.  Now I'm almost done putting it together.  I just used some left over sock yarn.

One of the gals from the Meadville group invited me to join the Titusville group that meets every Wednesday.  So, yesterday I went over to see what that group was like.  They are a great group of women, and so fun to be around!  I don't know if I will go every week, but I will be going quite often since they are so nice and it is so close! 

With the price of gas going up I have already curtailed my driving about as much as is possible.  I only budget $50.00 a month for gas and by the time I go to Meadville twice a month and (shame on me) up to Waterford to Marge Butler's yarn store occasionally I just seem to go through a tank of gas!  I will be going to the Franklin knitting group this Saturday, so there is another out of town trip.  Also, I do try to go visit one friend just south of me at least weekly.  With this new group here in town that will help, on the gas situation and while out to go there I can run my errands.

I got my final 2 windows installed today, from Window World.  They were here almost 3 hours for just the 2 windows and it got down to 52* in here by the time they finished!  The windows really look nice though, so I'm happy with them.  Originally I bought 6 for upstairs.  I got the double hung that tilt in so you can wash both sides from inside.  I mean, after all, how do you wash 2nd story windows from the outside!  I got the same for the main floor but with the e-gas in them, for the main floor bedroom and front room.  The rest of the windows will be fine, as far as I'm concerned, at least for this year!  I'd really like a garden window in the kitchen, but then I wouldn't be able to really look outside to the back yard, from the front room.  Besides, that would cost at least $1,800.00 and I just can't justify paying that much for a window just for plants!  Now I just need to re-install all of my main floor blinds and put the new blinds up on the 6 upstairs windows. 

Monday night I decided to run over to Subway and grab a sandwich.  Just a quick trip, no need to lock the storm door to the back porch, just the door into the house.  When I got home, maybe 10 minutes later, I sat down and ate 1/2 the sandwich and watched some TV.  After awhile I started to feel cold and looked at my Atomic Clock and it said it was only 59* in the front room.  Well, that didn't make sence.  Then I thought, oh no, the furnace has quit again!  I'd just had it fixed on the 24th of January.  Well,  no heat!  I played with the thermostat, turning it up and down, but no "click".  I went down the basement and checked the furnace and the pilot light was on.  I couldn't figure out what was wrong.  So I slept on the couch in the front room, which is the warmest room in the house, with my extra electric blanket.  Tuesday morning I called my contractor/friend and he came over.  He couldn't find anything wrong!  Then he checked to see if the wires were getting power - nope!  He came upstairs, to the back porch and checked the electrical box.  The switch for the furnace was in the off position!  I asked him what would cause that to trip and he said there was no reasonable explination to account for it to trip.  Did someone come onto the enclosed back porch, through the unlocked storm door and throw that switch?  I'll never know, but you can bet that will be the last time I will leave that door unlocked, even to be gone 10 minutes.  We both laughed when I said:  "When something won't turn on, plug it in, dummy!".  We both felt very foolish that the switch wasn't the first thing we checked!

So, I've had some interesting times lately, but I'm still smiling and am now warm.