COLD WEATHER ACTIVITIES!

The cold weather has finally hit hard.  For the past few days we have been in the deep freeze.  Last night it was predicted to be -41 with the windchill, but we lucked out at a glorious -27!   Up until now the winter has been rather mild by Manitoba Standards, even though speaking to the retired farmers in the diner, reassures that on the whole winters are milder here than they are in Winnipeg, where we lived before.

I have no inclination to venture out - even the dog doesn't want to go for her walks these days, so instead I have been hibernating with some rather lazy, but pleasing activities.

A few weeks ago I stopped in our little recycle store, and picked up a 1000 piece Norman Rockwell Jigsaw Puzzle.   Yes, I know - perhaps it will be missing pieces and I will be kicking myself when I get it almost done and find huge gaping holes in the finished product.

That may happen, but by then I will have enjoyed the activity for several weeks, so the time spent working on it will already have been of benefit to me.  The bonus will come if all the pieces are actually there - then I truly will have something to crow about.  I love Norman Rockwell art, and if this one is complete I may frame it and hang in downstairs family room in what is beginning to look like a music room.  This would fit in just great down there!

Not all my time has been spent solving puzzles!

I have also been working on a afghan that is actually more woven than crochet, but is done with an long afghan crochet hook with double ends.  This is a reversible afghan.  I am using a solid colour to go one way, and left over smalls balls of colourful yarns to go the other way.

Here is what it looks like.

this is the hook I am using, it has a hook on both ends that allows you to work side to side with two different yarns at one time

this is the side that features all the small coloured balls I have been using... this is a great left over ball stash buster!

Here you can see the reverse with the solid colour

Here is a better view of the reverse sides

I am making two long strips of equal width and length, and sewing them together reversing one strip... so both sides of the afghan will be the same, with both sides visible.

I will be making a tutorial on this technique in the upcoming weeks, it is very easy to do - the hardest part is remembering which way you were going, but I have a few tricks that I can share for getting around that problem.

So bring on the cold - I have no need to go out - I have plenty indoors to keep me occupied!