Tag: Cast in Peril

Busy Saturday

by eileentroemel, posted in Crochet and crafting, Life

Friday night, Ken and I went to Michael’s.  They had a sale on sugar n cream crochet cotton.  It was wonderful in that I got a lot of yarn at little cost.  I had a 20% all items coupon which made the great deal even better.  With tax, I paid about 82 cents per skein which is a huge saving because this yarn is normally 2 – 2.5 a skein.
I have already made one thing from it.  I found a pattern for a basket I like.  It turned out really well except that I learned we picked up scented yarn.  I’ve always avoided this yarn because scents tend to set off my asthma.  I was right in that this one did as well.  It turned out really nicely though and after taking an allergy med I didn’t feel quite so awful.

From the scraps of the basket, I started a trivet for Vicki.  She wants several so I just kept working with the variegated (not the scented) and started the trivet.  It is made completely from scraps.  It was a quick and easy project.

In addition to these two smaller projects, I finished the graduation gift for my student worker.  No pictures for now as she hasn’t gotten it yet.  I like how it turned out and hope she will as well.

I started a skirt for a friend but as I’m looking at what I’ve done, I’m not thrilled with it.  I have an idea in my head and will probably be tearing it out to try to make the project match what’s in my head.

I also started a dishtowel which I hope to finish this morning.  This is also made from scraps.  I just keep tying on a new little ball when I run out of yarn.  My middle daughter has asked for several new dishtowels, this will be the first to use up some of my scraps.  I also have actual full skeins she bought so I’ll be using those as well over time.

I finished reading both Cast in Peril by Michele Sagara and Remember When by Nora Roberts and JD Robb.  I’ve gotten the audio books for the next in each series on my fire.  I’ve been flipping back and forth between audio and text.  When I’m crocheting, I listen.  When I’m too tired to crochet, I’ll pick up the book and skim through the books.  It goes faster and I can skip the parts that annoy me.  Cast in Peril this was key in.  Love Sagara’s writing and her Cast in series but Peril was just tedious and not really a complete story.  I hear that the next one – Cast in Sorrow is the same way.  I’ll see what my tolerance level is for it.  I might end up skimming through parts of it as well.

I also downloaded Divided in Death.  Having just finished the short story, I’m trying to decide if I listened to the other two short stories before this.  I’m going to have to go look.  I don’t think I did.  That means I may have to just go through and do a quick read on both of them.  I’m trying to read her series in order including the short stories.  I’ll go back and catch these two up before I start the next one.

This should keep me busy for a bit and out of trouble – maybe.  I have a bridal shower to go to today so you never know what sort of mischief I’ll get up to.

Down for a Day

by eileentroemel, posted in Crochet and crafting, Life

At 2:30 Tuesday morning I woke up with pain in my foot.  I knew it was gout pain.  I figured I’ll get more sleep and feel better in the morning. 

I didn’t sleep the rest of the night.  I got up at 7:00 thinking I gotta go to work.  Now if I’m going to work I need to be out of the shower and headed to the car by 7:15 so I knew at the very least I was going to be LATE. 

It was a rough morning for me.  Pain, lack of sleep, and just general growliness.  I opted to not inflict my orneriness on my job and stayed home.  I don’t watch a lot of TV.  I’ve been weaning myself off it since we got rid of cable. 

Instead of surfing unsuccessfully for something worthwhile, I listened to an audio book and crocheted.  I leaned back in my recliner, kept my foot up and worked on a throw for my mother.  When she was over, she told me her legs got cold when she sat in her recliner in the living room.  I made her a small throw.  It is with fleece yarn which is yummy and soft.  My sister picked out the pink and multi colored purple / pink.  Unfortunately there wasn’t enough for what I wanted to do.  Of the fleece I had left, black was the only one that went well as there is a dark gray in the purple variegated.  So I did a border in the blank.  I did a lacy pattern which was quick and easy.  Hopefully it will work for my mother and keep her legs warm. 

Now I got a box of yarn.  I resisted using anything in that box because I had four projects going.  However, I finished a project and I wanted a small project so I pulled out this soft gorgeous yarn and made a cowl.  I went to my book that has some ridiculous number of patterns and made a cowl.  It didn’t take long, sewing the buttons on took longer as I had to find them, get a needle that would work and figure out what I was using to sew them on for thread (yarn was too thick). 

In the middle of the day, I was tired so I took a nap.  I took a two hour (maybe longer) nap.  Curling up with the electric blanket on to keep me toasty warm, I just conked out.  I had the heat from the blanket wrapped around my legs and it helped reduce the pain of the gout. 

After I woke up, I went back to listening to Holiday in Death by JD Robb and worked on a shawl for Vicki.  I finished that and still had an hour left on my book so started another scarf with more new yarn.  I didn’t get far.  I’m not happy with the pattern so I’m going to pull out my book with the different patterns and see what she’s tagged – my poor vandalized books.  I finished the book but not this fourth item.  I did go in and finish listening to the chapter in Cast in Peril by Michelle Sagara.

I hate taking a day off because of my gout.  However, by the evening my foot had shape again, the red ring around my ankle was gone.  The pain level had gone from nearly unbearable to tolerable.  I got three crochet projects done.  Considering I didn’t think it would be a good day – I’d say it wasn’t all bad.  The nap was wonderful.  I’m betting Vicki will LOVE the two items I got done for her.  I’m hoping mom will enjoy her item as well. 

 

Too Little Sleep, Too Much To Do

by eileentroemel, posted in Crochet and crafting, Life

Late night calls reduced the amount of sleep I got over the weekend but it was my girls so of course I took the calls.  This meant after a long day at work, I was tired and wanted nothing more than to go home to bed. 

I know myself well enough to know that if I go to bed at six at night, I’ll be up by midnight and grumpy the entire next day.  I opted to work on a gift and listen to a book. 

Sunday while I worked on projects, I watched Finding Your Roots, Person of Interest, NCIS LA, and Elementary.  Most of which I didn’t really enjoy.  The first three shows were good but Elementary was predictable – so not a Sherlock Holmes story.  By the time I was done catching up on shows, I was grumpy and annoyed.  I felt like I hadn’t made enough progress on crocheting and that watching the shows was mostly a waste of time.

This meant that last night I opted for the book.  I look at Cast in Peril and just couldn’t get into it.  It is very slow to start and I’m a little disappointed.  I swapped over to Vengeance in Death.  While I worked on a crochet project, again writing my own patter, I listened to the new book. 

My crochet project I started about six times.  First it was too narrow.  Second I wasn’t liking the yarn I had chosen.  Once I had the right yarn and the right width it was easy enough to snap pictures as I worked.  I got about halfway through and just wanted to close my eyes and go to sleep.  However, I finished it.  I like it enough that I’ll make it into a leaflet to sell the pattern. 

Tonight I have one more of a similar style project to work on and then I’ll see where I am with gifts.  I’m making progress in getting them done.  Once they are done, I’ll be able to go back to writing more at night. 

I’ve got a manuscript I need to do last edits on, create a cover for, and go through production.  I’ve got two manuscripts I’m partway through writing, I’d love to finish at least one of them.  The other I’m not sure is going to make the cut.  I need to finish writing it and pass it on to my testers.  It is a different genre than I normally write so I’m not sure it is good enough to publish. 

On Track – ish

by eileentroemel, posted in Life

Back on schedule – sort of – last night I worked on seven small projects and got them done.  I didn’t finish the one project because I want to take the time to lay it out and experiment with the next step.  I want to lay it flat and look it over. 

I also listened to six chapters of my book – Ceremony in Death.  I am enjoying it and actually remember more of this one, including bits of the ending so it is a comfortable read. 

On Goodreads, I’m noticing I have two books I’ve had there a while.  One is Cast in Peril which I’m trying to listen to (Damn Vicki for telling me the next book in the in Death series) and the other is the paranormal romance I have a hard time getting through.  I need to just barrell my way through it and finish it.  I’m disappointed in the author because I feel I can’t finish the over arching story because of the extreme violence she has in the beginning of the story.  I’ll get there eventually.

Tonight will be bill paying, crocheting and then I will either watch some stuff on the PBS station or I will listen to more of my book.  This weekend I want to work on projects but I’ve got a story banging around in my head.  I also have two manuscripts ready for production.  I have a short story I want to finish the edits on so I can submit it to the contest. 

It is also a pay week which means we have to get grocery shopping and other errands done.  One of the things I want to do is get gift bags so I can start packaging up the gifts I’ve been making.  I have to pick up a button to finish one project.  This means a trip to the craft store which I have a number of coupons for and I’d love to spend some time in. 

All these other things means I’m not writing or working on crocheting but they are probably necessary things to get done.  At the very least this weekend will be busy. 

Scheduling…

by eileentroemel, posted in Crochet and crafting, Life, Writing

My life is all about juggling the different aspects of it.  I’m working on a story that is pounding in my head and wanting out.  I have 11,000 plus words done in it already.  I’m also working on holiday gifts of which I have about thirty to make. 

Thursdays are my early day to leave.  I get off work an hour earlier which means I’m home earlier and have more time with Ken.  Last night I spent it with him, eating supper, watching West Wing, and crocheting. 

By nine last night, I had two gifts done and had listened to a couple of hours of my book.  I have three hours left in the book and am hoping to finish it tonight, along with a couple more gifts.  Right now I’m working on the gifts for student workers.  Once I have their gifts done (hopefully this weekend) I’ll start on the faculty gifts. 

I could have worked longer last night and started a third gift.  I thought about it but opted for sleep instead.  This week has been a good sleeping week for me with me actually having a couple of nights where I get more than two hours at a time. 

As I was crocheting last night I was thinking about the things I have to get done today.  In order to remember them all, I texted my email a list of what I wanted to remember.  Once I get home, I’ll be tackling that list before I go back to crocheting and listening to my book. 

My daughter – have I mentioned that my kids can be a bit smart ass? – my daughter told me the name of the next book in the series.  I told her I wanted to try to listen to a different book once I was done with the current one I’m listening to.  She laughed at me.  This does not seem appropriately respectful but not an uncommon occurrence.  Now of course I know the name of the next book in the series, I’ll want to read it. 

To be honest, I am digging the story of Eve and Rourke.  JD Robb (i.e Nora Roberts) is a master crafter of this story and I am thoroughly enjoying it – again.  I think this is the third or fourth time I’ve read through the entire story.

I’ll get to the other books eventually.  I hope I will.  I’m sure it will happen eventually.  I’ll get tired of the JD Robb ones – there are a couple in the series I’m not so thrilled with – and then I’ll switch over.  However, my goal is to finish Immortal in Death and then switch to Cast in Peril.  I just don’t know if that will work as my inner reader rules when it comes to what I listen to. 

Ken and I were talking about the schedule for the weekend.  We only have one commitments so that means a quiet weekend – hopefully.  I’m hoping Sunday will be a good day to sit and crochet all day – hopefully finish a number of projects and gifts. 

Saturday I’m hoping to work on manuscripts but I’ll have to see what all we decide to do.  Ken was talking about errands.  It will depend on what and when he wants to do them.  I have a stack of coupons I have to sort out – some for me and some for the girls.  At some point I’d like to clear off the couch as it is filled with manuscripts, crocheting, mail, and other random things.  Maybe I should make a to do list?