Monday, November 25, 2024

Repeated Renovations.

It has been a busy week! Again!. I finished the second sleeve on the Oregon Autumn Cardigan. I need really good light to pick up the stitches for the front and neck band. 



In looking at the directions for the front/neck bands, I noticed that the numbers to PU don’t add up to 336 (for the size I’m making, X-small.) I went back to the original pattern, and that’s what it says: 336. 99 + 64 to PU on each side = 326 sts, + stitches on holder/waste yarn 41 sts =367 -1 stitch decrease in the middle: 366, not 336. I did a little math and came up with 335 as being equivalent to the 380 sts for the next size up, in relation to the other stitch amounts, and rounded to 366. The 2X2 ribbing will go all the way around from the bottom right to the bottom left, so a 4-st repeat and then 2 sts at the end, so they will match in the front bottom. I needed to make an even number divisible by 4 with 2 sts left over, and 366 works out. This pattern has been out for a long time, so I assume someone else already caught the mistake.


Our garbage disposal went out a few days ago and could not be fixed. Charlie thought he had a new one purchased in Utah when we lived there. He found it in the shed. He called a plumber and set up an appointment to have the new (unused, but several years old, of course) installed. The young man came on Thursday and took everything apart.


He had to run out to get a part, because the new one needed to be installed a bit differently from the old one, but it didn't take him long.



The new disposal works great! 


The plumber mentioned that he had a two-year-old daughter. He left with one of my new books, signed by the author. He sent a text later to thank me for the book. Apparently it was a hit at home.


Another item that broke down is our over-the-stove microwave, but that stopped working shortly after we moved in. We had one of those home warranties, so we called the company, and they sent someone to look at it. The repair man said it couldn't be repaired. A new one wasn't covered by the warranty, so we were out the deductible. The light and fan worked, so we've been using those and storing our tea in the microwave. We bought an inexpensive microwave that sits on the counter. 



The problem with this one is, the light from the kitchen window shines in your eyes in the morning, making it impossible to read the "buttons" or to see what's happening inside. It's like a mirror. We're finally going to replace the old microwave with an over-the-stove microwave/convection combination, with vent fan and light. 
I think it should be enough like the one in the r-pod that I'll be able to transfer what I learn about the convection function to that one as I become more familiar with it.

The new microwave arrived Saturday and a married couple came to install it.



It doesn't look that different from the old one it's replacing, but the fact that it works makes a big difference. It came with a rack that fits onto some holders, just like in a regular oven, as well as a round rack on legs that can be used on the turntable, just like the one in the Pod. I don't know where we're going to keep the accessories yet. I'll figure that out. 



The kitchen looks better than it has in years.



The air fryer was sitting on a cart at the end of the island. Now it and the tea kettle are where the old countertop microwave was. That makes the cart useful in case I need additional counter space, and who doesn't?


The old countertop microwave does a good job, so we moved it to the laundry room upstairs, so if we're working upstairs we can make a cup of tea right there without coming down to the kitchen. The problem is, the electrical outlet behind the washer and dryer has two places to plug in, and both are taken up with the washer and the dryer. There's another outlet on the opposite wall, but we will have to run an extension cord over the door and down to the microwave, before we can plug it in. A job for another day.


The kids were coming from Beaverton yesterday, as well, so I made some Pulla (Finnish Cardamom Loaf). The recipe makes two, and we've already almost finished off one.



I started cleaning two weeks ago, beginning with our bathroom and bedroom, figuring they wouldn't be seen by company as much. I did one room a day, and Charlie vacuumed a couple of rooms, but we didn't hadn't vacuumed upstairs, the stairway and the living/dining room when the kids arrived. The boys will help with that today.


The pups went to the groomer on Thursday. When they came home, the plumber was here to start installing the garbage disposal. They enjoyed meeting him, and he has a dog, so he enjoyed them, too. We got in a walk, too, so they had a busy day with little time to nap. 


I put the fleece jacket on Dusty, because he feels the cold more than Sandy.


On Friday I received an email from Apple, saying that my old laptop, which I traded in when I bought the new one, had been checked out and was worth the full amount estimated. My check from the Butterfly Keyboard Class Action Lawsuit also arrived, so between the two, nearly a fourth of the cost of my new laptop was covered.


Happy Thanksgiving to all my friends in the US who are celebrating this week!



I have a lot of difficulty responding to comments to my blog posts because of technical issues beyond my control (my lack of understanding of how things work). Message me on Facebook, Ravelry or Spoutible if you need information.


If you have a few minutes and are willing, please go to Amazon and B&N and search for "Our Favorite Verses: Poems from The Doll's Storybook by Peggy Stuart". Every click on the page for the book makes it more likely they will keep a good supply in their warehouse and stores. If you are outside the US, you may have a separate website for these retailers. If you have a copy of any of our books, including Emil, Mariah or Classic Tales Retold, please leave an honest review on the websites, especially if you bought from them.


Where's my blog: If you want to follow my blog, go here and sign up to follow.

What's on my needles: Still working on the Oregon Cardigan.

What's on my loom: Still in its corner under the windows.

What's on my sewing machine: Still its dust cover.

What's in The Doll's Storybook: This week's story from #TheDollsStorybook is Water, Water. Three of the dolls each have a different idea of where water comes from. Mandy helps them decide who is right.


What's on my iPad/iPhone: Still listening to Dean Koontz's new book, The Forest of Lost Souls. Also reading a physical book, In the Shelter of Each Other by Milree Latimer. Not very far into either yet.

What's in my wine glass: El Tinto Lot 43 from MadroƱa. Always a favorite!

What's my tip of the week: I saw this Dawn Powerwash in a commercial on TV. I don't usually buy things based on TV ads, but I thought this might save some water when we're camping. I bought it mostly for the spray bottle. It' lets you wash one thing without having to fill the sink or let dishes pile up in the sink. It turned out to be a very good product, not just for dishes, either. Apparently you can get refills for it. It's really good at cleaning grease from pans.



Where are my books: The stories in each book first appeared in the blog and they are reproduced with a few changes. 


The stories in More Classic Tales Retold: Stories from The Doll's Storybook are Welcoming a StrangerThe RescueUnmaskedFuzzy Town––A Play and Sky Blue.

Our Favorite Verses: Poems from The Doll's Storybook. Poems included are Valentine's DayKeeping PetsBack to School, Victor the VultureThe Week Before Christmas, Insomnia and Veronika's Vocabulary Verses.

The stories in Classic Tales Retold: Stories from The Doll's Storybook are Little Green GreatcoatThe Boy Doll Who Cried Wolf and Lost in the Woods.

The stories in Emil: Stories from The Doll's Storybook are Best BudsGetting What You Want, and The Boys Cook Dinner.

The stories in Mariah are Being LittleBesties, and Distraction.

If you don't get free shipping from Amazon or B&N, buy from the BookBabyBookshop, because 50% of the price goes to St. Jude. Other booksellers pay much less, because the publisher gets a cut. 

Note: This blog post was produced on the iPad and the MacBook, using the iPhone for some photos and some photo processing. No other computer was used in any stage of composition or posting, and no Windows were opened, waited for, cleaned or broken. No animals or dolls were harmed during the production of this blog post.

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