Mices!!!

Ooohh! Lord Love Us, I have a mouse in my house!!!!
I took some laundry down to the basement to do later and there it was!
Needless to say, I gave a small screech, threw the laundry in the machine and skedaddled up the stairs, feeling like there was a monster behind me, lol.
I have not had mice in my house in 50 yrs. and I would have liked to have kept it that way.
So now, what to do!  Good thing my son is staying here for a short time...I'll let him deal with it.
First thing to do is buy a trap and set it...they like peanut butter so we'll try that and hope that there is only one.
I am definitely not liking this turn of events!
Oh, yuck.......miserable little beastie!

Such a Productive Day....

I don't know what happened today, but I got so many things done I can't believe it!

Usually, I look back on my days and think "where did the day go? I should have done this or that"!

Besides the mundane things, like dishes, supper, a load of laundry done and put away, I accomplished enough to keep me satisfied for days.

I finished 5 beard hats, cut out a little nightgown and made 2 flannel pillowcases!!!!

And, as if that was not enough, I took pics, edited them and listed this little outfit:

You can see more pics of this and other fashions at http://www.prettypelican.etsy.com      

Buying PDF Sewing Patterns

I've done my share of sewing in the past but in recent years have gravitated to crocheting.  After doing that non-stop for several years and having acquired many, many boxes of fabric I decided to take a rest from the 'hook' and get back into my sewing.
With mostly flannel, I've been making some flannel pillowcases, which are so easy to do and so comfy for a winter night.  Even my 34 yr. old son snaffled an 'Elmo' pillowcase from me (I couldn't sell it as it's a copyright infringement to sell it) and he loves it!

So, after making several of those, I discovered some pdf patterns on Etsy that looked like they would be simple and cute done up.  And they are!

One thing, tho', that you have to be prepared for, is to do a lot of printing and piecing together of the pattern.  For each size you want, you can reprint, but for years of using patterns with more than one size, I learned a little trick that comes in handy for all your patterns.

I don't cut any pattern pieces, but keep the master copy and trace the size I want on a heavy plastic, such as 'vapor barrier' used in house construction.  It's a good weight and easy to fold up and store.  You can  put the plastic copy in an envelope or folder, along with the master copy in it's envelope and everything is neat, tidy and handy when you need it.

This is one little set I made with a PDF pattern...so cute!  Of course, it's available at www.prettypelican.etsy.com

Frost in the Middle of August!?

prettypelican @ www.prettypelican.etsy.com

That's just crazy!  Who'd have thought!
I know I live in the Great White North, but, Holy Cow, that's early.
But I shouldn't be too surprised...this has been one weird weather year.  We had the warmest winter (2011-12) I've ever seen, and I've seen quite a few.  And, while the Prairies have had a somewhat normal Summer, the West and especially the Eastern Provinces have been in major heat.
Oh, well, I guess we get what we get...no use ranting and raling about it.  I'm just hoping for another nice winter like we had last year.

I have had no time at all to do any crocheting to speak of.  And can't see any time coming up soon that I will get any of that done.

These little shoes are so popular that I'm thinking I'd better have quite a few pair ready for the Holiday Season.  They ARE kind of cute!

Patterns everywhere....

I have come to the conclusion that I have to get rid of my patterns!
And I've also come to the conclusion that I've been a hoarder! Of Patterns!
I always said "I'm not a collector"...don't want all that stuff cluttering up my house.  But I have to admit that patterns were my downfall.
I suppose I fooled myself into thinking I wanted to make all of them so would snap them up, but I made very few of them.  I would take them out and look through them from time to time and say that I have to make that but then put them all away again till the next time.
But there comes a time that you just have to "know your limitations" as Dirty Harry said, shut your eyes and start cleaning out.
Oh well, my loss is someone's gain!  I have been busy scanning pics, making up listings and hoping that they go to someone who will make better use of them than I.
They're all going in my Etsy store (http://www.prettypelican.etsy.com/) so if you're interested in patterns, that's where to go for a great selection.
I try to add some each day so you never know what you might find.

So Many Changes...

I haven't had the time to add to my blog in quite a while; however, since I've been gone there have been so many changes I'm totally lost!
Which means I'll have to spend more time, which I don't have, to try to figure everything out again!
Sometimes I would just like to throw my hands up in the air and say "I'm just not going to bother" and hit the delete key.
Well, I won't today, but I do wish everything was back the way it was.

Winter in a Nutshell (or a pic)

My sister took these pictures quite a few years ago and it pretty well sums up Saskatchewan winters.
While it can be viewed as 'pretty', it's quite another thing to deal with our temps. here; we can always count on the thermometer going down and down, icy cold winds and too much snow.
I suppose there are some, snowmobilers, snowboarders, skiiers and similar fools who like it and wait with bated breath for that first signal of winter, but I am not one of them.  Never have been and never going to be.
I feel about the same about ice-fishermen. Who, in their right mind, goes out on the frozen lake and sits there waiting for a fish to bite?  By the way, I don't eat a lot of fish, either, lol.
Now, Spring, that is a different matter!  I love the Spring. Full of promise, everything warming up and the trees budding and grass turning green.  I always watch the fields and ditchs for the wild crocuses to pop up and then I know everything is as it should be.
Sure it brings lots of yard work, cleaning up the old dried and dead leaves, grass and weeds, but after a long winter it is a joy to be outside in the warming sun.
So, I am looking forward to the next 2 months getting out of the way and April arriving with a warm afternoon sun and a few showers to freshen everything up and make the flowers grow.

Keeping up the Pace

It is so cold! Arctic air is flooding in and we're going down to -47* with the wind chill tonight. School buses were not running today and everyone warned to stay in if you can. That's dangerous cold...I feel so badly for the animals and oh, my, the homeless!
I worked on hats, as usual; put two beards on hats, crocheted 2 more beards and 2 more hats.  Can I keep up that pace?
I think not...I worked all day but no housework done and just a very simple supper.
I did manage to sell 4 pattern books so that's 4 more gone from my 'stash'.  I have gotten rid of so many things since I came back from Manitoba but lots more to go.  That doesn't seem to be very much when you consider that I must have a thousand patterns.

The hats I finished today: (available in my Etsy and Ecrater stores, of course):

Saskatchewan Winters

It's official...we're back to the normal Saskatchewan winter!
We have had an extraordinarily beautiful winter this year; it has been absolutely balmy for this part of the country, but, that has come to an end.
Today has been very cold, with the temperature going to -34*C tonight and with a windchill of -39*C.
I hate it! And it's not supposed to get any warmer until the weekend, when it 'might' go up to -14*C.
Oh, well, we only have about 10 weeks left till it warms up nicely in April and we have to be thankful that we had a 3-month respite from the norm.

All the more reason to work on my warm beard hats available in my Etsy shop.  I'm working on some for the ladies...we deserve to be warm, too.  I have these two listed and have some more in the works.